The Chef and The Shinobi
by Tremor230
Summary: M rated! GOD's capture had been a failure years ago, but Midora and his Bishokukai did not renounce to acquire the Ultimate Ingredient and try to find an alternative method to finally capture it, while this new battle between the IGO and the evil organization is ongoing, a mysterious Chef forms a Combo with a young Gennin of Konoha, he too plans to reach GOD, who will obtain it?
1. An OP intro

**PLEASE READ THIS! THE PROLOGUE IS ABOUT AN "OP" CHARACTER BUT IT'S ONLY A WAY TO _DISTANCE _THE STORY FROM THE ELEMENTAL COUNTRIES! THE REST WILL HAVE MORE _CHALLENGES _INTO IT!**

**Someone once said...that I have too much Imagination for my own good ^ ^**

**I know I promised a "Life is a videogame" fanfiction and I am truly sorry for the change, but after reasoning a little I found myself against the idea since I would have ended up with a Fic "blocked" into Canon or still somehow following that "Timeline" whatever unconsciously or not, so I decided to try something different, and since I happen to like the manga Toriko (and to a lesser extent the anime), then...well, this is the result, I hope you enjoy ^ ^.**

**PS: I need a Star Wars expert (an HUGE one) can he or she contact me via Pm please?**

" **You bastard"** - demon talking / jutsu

"Let's finish this" - dialogue

" _Can it get any worse? _" - during flashback/ Thoughts

**Pairing: Naruto/Melk III (OC daughter of Melk II and Komatsu) and Kopuriko**

**Sasuke/OC Fate Valentine (created by _User 627_, thanks Buddy ^^)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything else I will use nor I make a profit out of this, I am writing just for the pleasure of doing it.**

**Prologue Chapter: the Chef meets the Shinobi.**

Someone once said...that there mountain passes made of sweet high quality vanilla, strawberry, and melon flavored _gelato_, the _Gelatain Passes._

And that deep in the Gourmet World, secluded in a far-away land there is a small village hidden by tall trees where Ninjas can be found... _Konohagakure No Sato_!

The world is in the Gourmet Age.

The age of seeking out yet-unknown tastes...

**Konoha – Chuunin Exam Stadium – Finals of the Exams - **

The stadium was filled to the brim and literally 'trembling' under the excited screams of the audience while the contestants kept battling each other for the rank of Chuunin, but while the civilians and most of the shinobi present were enraptured by the show of abilities the young gennin were displaying, the more _Aware_ were instead on high alert as their instinct was giving off signals of great Alarm.

**- Kage booth -**

"Someone is coming" Hiruzen the Hogake said looking at the sky with a deep frown

"You feel that too? the feeling of something big and hungry approaching" A said nodding with a shiver of excitement

"Yes, whatever it is, it's not exactly "friendly"...any suggestion?" the old man asked

"Let's stay on guard, no reason in scaring everyone" the Raikage answered

"Have the others stay prepared then, we may have some visitors that were not expected" Hiruzen ordered to one of the ANBU near him.

"Tell the soldiers to pay attention too, I won't have outsiders disturb my plans about the invasion" Orochimaru whispered to one of his guards

"As you wish, master" the masked guard answered nodding

**- Outside the village –** **in the meantime -**

A lone cloaked figure was standing on a black spinning disk of what looked like 'living shadow' calmly watching the village of Konoha get closer as he moved towards its direction.

"Keep this speed Kuroi, Starjun said that I would have found my Partner here in the village where I was born, if I want to find GOD by myself I'll need a strong one to accompany me...I still don't understand why looking for one here of all the places, it would have been easier just looking for a Partner back in the human world, I bet Melk III would have gladly come with me" the figure said

_"Hiss!"_ the disk answered with an hissing sound and a short tremble of the body

"Yes, believe it or not I am aware of her feelings for me, but nor her mother Melk II or her father Komatsu-san would have agreed had I proposed openly to her...you know they don't like the man who raised me or my methods even after I _distanced _myself from him, or so they think at least...not that it ever stopped her from seeing me in secret of course," the figure said with a pleasured smirk

"Once acquired GOD I bet asking Melk-chan as 'payment' in exchange of THE Ingredient will be exceptionally easy" the figure then said with a small chuckle

_"Hiss"_ the platform answered

"Of course I won't give them all of GOD then...I'll keep the biggest part for me and her, they will jut be happy enough with the quarter I'll give them, I am sure of it...at least they won't be able to say that I am as selfish as Midora-sama, after all, I am so generous to give them part of it, they should be grateful for that" the figure answered as the platform passed over the external wall of the village

**- Konoha - Stadium -**

While the mysterious entity was slowly getting closer to the arena, a young boy with black hair was fighting against a boy with an huge gourd strapped on his back, evading a wave of sand after another, the black haired boy from Konoha kept trying to get closer, unable to at the same time attack and defend himself

"Damn it! this is getting nowhere! **Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu! (Fire Release: phoenix sage fire technique!)**" the boy yelled jumping high in the air to split several fireballs towards his adversary, watching in dismay as a wall of sand rose to protect the red haired boy he was fighting with

"Come on, Uchiha! I need to prove my existence! Fight me!" the boy from Suna yelled with a crazed smile

"I wish to point out that I am actually trying! your sand is kinda getting in the way!" the other answered.

While the two were trying to overcome each other with their techniques, a certain masked Sannin was getting impatient as the strange presence he felt earlier was getting always closer with the risk of putting his plan in jeopardy.

"Forget the waiting and give the signal, we have no time to waste!" Orochimaru ordered when his patience finally reached its limits.

With a discreet sign of the guards' hand feathers started falling on the arena, but whatever effect those were designed to have would have never been known as an oppressing feeling crushed the whole arena and the near area, canceling the technique and sending people on edge at the same time.

To everyone present, no matter the rank or the age, for an instant the inexplicable feeling of being on a cutting board in front of a towering huge shadow flashed through their minds, making them understand what an ingredient felt when in front of a chef and ready to be cooked.

**- With the mysterious figure - a little earlier -**

"Here we are, let's see if there is someone worth of this whole "Combo" idea Midora-sama and Toriko-kun talked so highly about" the figure said looking at the arena not far from where he was.

"In honor of that bastard of Joa, a variation of his technique made by a sensor...**Tasting Scope!**" he said as his pupils widened, scanning whoever was in there to find a 'Psychological Taste' of his liking

"There is one that looks promising...there is some _Regret_ I don't like though, but at least he is not emanating that whole '_I want revenge above anything else'_ feeling that would have been annoying" the figure said sighing

"It will still require a lot of work though...but if I am lucky it won't take long and may be worth it in the end, the two of us together may have enough Food Luck to help in the search of GOD, that is, if he accept to make this damned Combo with me and my instinct is right about him...I guess I'll have to ask him directly if I want to know" he said shaking his head.

While he was calmly talking to himself he saw feathers starting to fall on the arena making people fall asleep, making him frown in annoyance.

"Now, now! that was uncalled for, I need the boy awake if I want to talk to him, let's go down, Kuroi" the cloaked man said unleashing his **Intimidation **and blasting away the feathers and awakening the few asleep, paralyzing everyone at the same time.

**- In the Stadium - **

By now everyone was watching in silence as the figure was slowly moving towards the middle of the fight, the _Disk_ the mysterious entity was riding turning into a snake-like animal with yellow eyes and slit red pupils that somehow melted into a liquid form as it landed before latching itself to the figure's cloak becoming part of it.

"Who are you?" the boy from Suna asked with a glare

"What's your name?" the figure asked back unconcerned

"I am Sabaku no Gaara" the Suna boy answered

"I was not talking to you" the figure answered

"How dare you stop my fight! I will feed your blood to Mother for this!" Gaara yelled in rage

"I suggest you to shut up instead, otherwise I will use YOU to feed ME" the cloaked man answered as his **Intimidation** returned full force, covering his body in a grey fire-like energy that then solidified into the huge form of a huge grey creature ripped in muscles and with the face of a demonic fox, making the Suna ninja fall silent in an instant with a threatening snap of its huge fanged maw.

"Gaara!" a girl with four ponytails said nearing the boy

"Let's go away, I won't take part to this invasion" the boy said

"W-Why?" a boy with face-paint asked surprised

"Mother said that she doesn't want to be on that man's Full Course Menu, whatever it means I don't know, but she promised to let me sleep and stay quiet if I stay as far as possible from him" Gaara answered shaking his head

"He scared the biju?" the girl mouthed to the painted boy with wide eyes

"Listen, Temari...I don't know you, but I don't want to face someone that makes me feel like some kind of fillet ready to be served, stay here if you want but I am going home" the boy said shivering

"Apparently another faction joined the fight, let's tell the others to just abandon the mission, Kankurou" the girl, Temari said nodding

"I am with you" Kankorou answered nodding as well

"I am...sorry...I must have felt like him to you, am I right?" Gaara said looking down

"It's okay, brother, let's just go home" Temari said with a tiny smile

**- Kage booth -**

"Interesting...that's literally Killing Intent given physical form, even I had troubles to not shiver at that" A said with an interested smirk

"This is bad, an Invasion and now this, I just hope he won't help the invaders once those get bold enough to move again" Hiruzen said between clenched teeth as the ninja of Konoha started attacking the ones from Oto and Suna

"Who are you? how dare you interfere!" Orochimaru said glaring at the mysterious man

**- In the arena -**

While around them the chaos of the Invasion was unfolding, the Uchiha boy and the mysterious stranger kept talking, uncaring of the violence of the various fights surrounding them.

"Your name?" the man asked again

"I am Sasuke Uchiha, who are you?" the gennin from Konoha asked curious

"I am a man looking for a partner for his Combo, the man I grew up with told me that I would have found the ideal candidate here, are you interested?" he answered

"A Combo? what do you mean?" Sasuke asked

"Probably you don't know, but there is literally a WHOLE WORLD outside this village's walls" the man answered chuckling

"In this _'World'_ the most important thing is the discovery of new tastes, Food, to put it bluntly" he then said opening his arms in a theatrical fashion.

"And you want me to go out with you to buy some?" Sasuke said with a raised eyebrow

"Buy it? don't be ridiculous, I am talking about hunting and discovering new tastes, I am talking about seeing the world and fighting creatures of indescribable power to reach for foods believed to be reserved only to Gods! I saw your fight and saw some potential, sure right now you won't be able to overcome a beast with a Capture Level higher than 1, but I do have some hope" he answered

"You talk like food was the most important thing in the world" Sasuke said smirking

"And it isn't? we are once again in the Gourmet Age, time for flavors to be discovered and enjoyed...but surely, with your _Elemental Nations_ surrounded by **Terror Herb** you can't know that"

"**Terror Herb**?"

"A special plant that scares away beasts with any level higher than 1, when the IGO discovered it they were pretty happy to have a way to control dangerous creatures, you have no idea of how hard it was to talk my companion Kuroi into ignoring it and come here" the man answered

"You are crazy..." Sasuke said shaking his head

"Eat this and then tell me, in the meantime I'll just take care of some pests if you will please wait here" the man said giving a pale-pink apple to the boy.

"An Apple?" Sasuke asked as a pale man with snake-like eyes jumped down to face the cloaked figure

"Just give it a bite, it's a simple _Salmon Apple_ but it will give you an idea of what the Gourmet Age tastes like" the man said chuckling

"If you say so" the boy said biting the small fruit and going wide-eyed in awe.

To say it in simple terms...it was Heaven made food, it somehow had the crunchy texture of an apple and at the same time the taste of the high-class kind of salmon one could expect from Five-Stars Sushi Restaurants, he couldn't understand how, but after the first bite his whole body felt full of energy while any fatigue resulted from the fight faded away in an instant and even the few wounds he had were rapidly disappearing as he was wolfing down the small fruit like a starving man.

"Wha-wha...what was that?!" the boy asked surprised while still licking his fingers to prolong the blissful taste

"THAT was what 'good food' really is, and you just tasted a low-class ingredient though, there are others even more delicious that surpass that simple apple on so many levels that it would be like comparing garbage to First-Class Caviar, make a Combo with me and I'll show you so many different places and food that your mind won't even begin to comprehend what I'll put in front of you"

"I would love that...but I have a mission, I want to avenge the massacre of my clan and until I get strong enough to defeat HIM I won't be able to follow you" Sasuke answered sadly

"Revenge? is that what is filling you with so much regret? I will make you strong if you accept my offer, as I said, at your current state anything with a Capture Level higher than 1 would be impossible for you to face, and what I need your help to find is even above the _Immeasurable Level_ class, even your so feared Kyuubi was barely at a Capture Level of 500 and there are things out there that could eat that Fox in a single bite without even noticing it was there at all, once our mission as a Combo is over, your dear 'Him' will just die with a flick of your wrist" the figure answered

"SHUT UP! I have plans for the boy and you won't interfere!" Orochimaru yelled as he abandoned his mask.

"You have plans? it has something to do with his eyes, am I right? It's curious how things can evolve without people even fully comprehending them, you won't be able to have him develop his fullest potential if you reason_ like a shinobi_, I instead only need help in finding the ingredient I want, if after that he still wants to hunt down this "Him" then I don't care. Tell you what, I'll even help him to find the guy so to repay him for his help" the man answered calmly and dodging the punch aimed at his head by moving to the side by a mere inch before pushing the Sannin back.

"You know how the **Sharingan** works?" Sasuke asked surprised

"I know that and more, I will help you develop it to a level you didn't think possible without staining your hands and soul in Sins against humankind too, I heard that in order to achieve the next level of the Sharingan you people believe that one has to kill their own best friend...such a barbaric way to obtain such an easy target when one only needs to use the proper ingredients to strengthen his own cells without condemning oneself to a life of regret"

"Enough of this foolishness! **Doton: Mud Dragon!**" Orochimaru said opening his mouth wider than humanly possible to spit out a river of mud that then condensed into the shape of a roaring dragon charging towards the mysterious man

"Cute trick..." the figure said rising his hand and summoning an enormous pair of chopsticks made of blood-red energy that grabbed the jutsu blocking it "a pity that in the end it's just that, a party trick" he then said crushing the Mud Dragon with the _chopsticks _like it was nothing.

"WHAT!?" Orochimaru said with wide eyes

"To make a simple comparison even you can understand, when I met him my Animal Companion Kuroi had a Capture Level of 295, just like any other _Tokage_ one can find around, making him stand on par with your Four-Tailed Biju, and I keep him as a 'pet' that now reached a LV of 306...what makes you think that I'll have you take my Partner away for some sort of project?" the man asked curious

"Ufufufu! you too are not bad either, once I am finished with you I bet I will be able to gain a lot of informations from your body as well" Orochimaru said chuckling

"What a sick man you are, your _Taste_ is awful even from here, but I guess one can't always decide what ingredients to use, in the end it's always the ingredient the one to choose the Chef" the cloaked man answered taking out a pure-white kitchen knife with a jagged back and a black handle.

"A kitchen knife? you really want to 'cook' me? you are indeed an interesting man" The snake Sannin said taking a long sword out of his mouth

"Don't underestimate my knife **Houshoku** **(Gluttony),** it was made from the fang of a _Battlewolf _by Melk the First and subsequently sharpened by Melk the Second, the two Best sharpeners of this planet, it was by pure luck that the pack-leader adult exemplar I took this fang from lost it after a fight with a particularly vicious Devil Serpent, it may not look as intimidating as the **'Derous Knife'** but it's still made from something coming from one of the "Eight Kings"...not that I expect someone like you to understand its value though" the man answered calmly

"Then let's see how your precious knife fares against a legendary sword like the **Kusanagi**!" Orochimaru yelled charging

**With Hiruzen**

"What should we do, Hokage-sama?" an ANBU asked worriedly

"Keep pushing the invading forces away, I'll join that fight, those two want the Uchiha boy and I can't let them go away with the attempted kidnapping of one of my shinobi!" Hiruzen answered taking away his robes to reveal a black battle-armor

"Let us help you!" the masked nin asked

"No! those two are way above your level, I'll have Jiraiya assist me in this, you take care of the invaders and help whoever is in danger!" the old man ordered

"As you wish" the ANBU said joining the various fights with the invading forces

"Let's go, sensei" the Toad Sage said appearing near the old man

"Keep your eyes open, that cloaked man is dangerous, we can't let our guard down" Hiruzen said

**With Sasuke**

The young boy was confused, he was admitting to himself that since after that fateful night where his clan was massacred he had focused every waking moment into the idea of killing his brother Itachi to avenge his family and training for that, but after the events in Wave he had already started doubting his choice after seeing Haku sacrifice himself to protect Zabuza, apparently his only reason to live.

After that he had started wondering, what would happen should he manage to kill Itachi? what would become of his life then? what would he do once completed his life-long mission?

He had literally renounced to his childhood in order to get stronger, forbidding himself from even considering one day to have a family for himself, everything for his fear to see his brother return from the grave to once again exterminate his clan, and even if he had later defeated that fear he still refused to think about having a family one day.

He was not a fool, he had recognized Orochimaru the Snake Sannin when he had fought with him in the forest and that time he had once again felt powerless and weak just like that night when Itachi spared him, he had felt the same terror he felt while watching his mother die and was by pure Luck if whatever plan the man had for him that required biting his neck failed with the ANBU arrival that gave the boy enough time to flee.

And now he was watching as a complete stranger was battling, more likely toying by the looks of it, with that same Sannin after promising to make him strong enough to get his revenge, but even if it was the same offer Orochimaru made in the forest, Sasuke knew that the two men were completely different.

Orochimaru had no problems admitting that he had 'projects' for him and his eyes, making him understand that whatever power the Snake Master could offer would one day require an huge Price the boy was sure would not be nice to pay.

The stranger instead simply wanted a Partner for his Combo so to hunt down a mysterious Ingredient he really wanted in a world outside the village where Food and Tastes were the most important things (and if anything else 'out there' was even remotely BETTER than the apple he just ate he then was a little eager to see himself, proved by the fact that he was almost certain it was NOT urine what was wetting his pants at the moment) making the notion of Sasuke getting stronger out of it only an after-thought not worthy his attention and so making it a less risk-filled offer than the Sannin's one.

And even then, going with the Stranger could possibly open him to a whole new future, if one day he could really manage to kill Itachi then maybe he could go ingredient-hunting between missions so to see the world outside the village and the Elemental Nations, taking back to Konoha foods never seen and maybe being one day remembered as something more than just an Avenger and "a powerful shinobi of the Leaf Village" like whoever was not _Legendary_ was usually remembered in the village's history books.

"If I come with you..." Sasuke asked uncertainly

"Yes?" the mysterious man said dodging a vicious sword swipe of Orochimaru

"Will I become as strong as you? Will I find a reason? A _Goal?_" the boy asked

"Huhuhu! You are a funny guy...a purpose? Why not, I just want _That Ingredient_ for me to taste and enjoy, if you want a purpose then we'll look for one as well, I bet you can become a fine **Saiseiya**" the man answered

"What's that?" the boy asked curious

"A **Saiseiya** is also known as a **Gourmet Reviver, **theyare the protectors of the ingredients, people who tries to prevent them from being exhausted, and in some case revive them if they possess the skill to do so, you will become a 'Giver of Life' instead of a 'Killer' like your being a shinobi may demand, become good enough and you may be able to _bring back_ animals and plants believed extinct, for a boy that wants a purpose, being one sounds good enough" he answered

"Can a Saiseiya be in a Combo?" Sasuke asked

"Good question, technically they are neutral...but I don't care about conventions so I would be happy to have one with me, some extinct ingredients were said to be really delicious so having them back would be good, it's a pity that those techniques can't be used to bring back dead humans, but at least you would be able to tear the wounded off of the Death's grasp if you are fast and good enough, it's a good consolation"

"ENOUGH! I won't let any of you take away a young boy to fulfill whatever plan you two have!" Hiruzen said in anger while glaring at the two

"You won't let it happen? Strong words from an hypocrite" the cloaked figure said chuckling darkly

"What did you say?" the Hokage said glaring at him

"I called you an hypocrite, you now act all high and mighty like a Defender of Konoha's Future...and yet, years ago you did not battled an eye when I disappeared, don't you? I bet you were actually happy that the _Demon Child_ left your precious village, am I right?" the man said

"You don't know what you are talking about!" Hiruzen yelled in rage

"Ufufufu! Sensei, seems like our friend here touched a sore spot isn't it? Let's make sure no one will interfere in our _Reunion _then!" Orochimaru said chuckling as four other shinobi joined the scene to summon a purple barrier around him, Hiruzen, Sasuke and the cloaked figure leaving out a furious Jiraiya.

"I don't mind people hearing us actually, and by the way old man, I know VERY WELL what I am talking about, after all..." the figure said lowering the hood of his cloak to show the face of a young man with gold-yellow hair tied in a tight braid reaching his waist and three _whiskers_ on each cheek reaching his ears with his cold blue eyes locked only on the shocked Hokage's face

"I used to live here after all, don't you remember?" the blond man said

"Na-Na-Naruto!?" Hiruzen said with wide eyes

"Did you expect me to be dead? Sorry to burst your bubble, I am pretty much alive" he answered uncaring

"NO! You are wrong, after your disappearance I tried everything in my power to take you back!" Hiruzen said shocked

"Yeah, I bet missing the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki had put you people in a difficult situation" the young man answered sneering

"If you are really Naruto...why you are so old? You were 5 the day you went missing, you should be 17, not over twenty!" Jiraiya said eying him suspiciously

"I Look like someone in his twenties, I was 24 when _it_ _stopped_, but I am MUCH older than that, the reason is nothing of your concern" Naruto answered to the further shock of Sasuke

"You are a jinchuuriki?" Sasuke asked with wide eyes

"I used to...I'll explain later" the blond answered

"Now that's something interesting, I take that you are here to take revenge then? You must be interested in the Sharingan too and planned to attack the Leaf at the same time so to obtain both in a single attack, it's funny that me and you choose the same day to carry on our revenge" Orochimaru said laughing

"Mind joining me? Since we both want the destruction of the village I can't see why the two of us shouldn't join forces" he then asked

"Revenge? Sharingan? None of the two interest me, I just want a Partner for my Combo so to go on adventures, I don't give a damn about shinobi and whatnot" Naruto answered chuckling

"How long will it takes for you to collect _That_?" Sasuke asked

"I am not certain, I came here to collect you before going to one of my contacts for some _crucial_ information he promised me" Naruto answered

"Then I'll come with you, Itachi is probably stronger than how he was when he killed my clan so I'll need time to become as strong as I need to defeat him, but with you I somehow know that I will gain something more than just Power...probably a future as a Saiseiya" Sasuke said

"Itachi Uchiha? The young ANBU? I used to know him since he was one of the guards that _supposedly_ should have protected me and actually did his job properly, luckily he was not in the village when I was 'kidnapped' otherwise I would have spent the rest of my life here, I can kill him myself if you want, I don't mind" Naruto said

"No, I have to do this myself, I couldn't help my mother when he attacked, at least I wish to be the one avenging her death" the boy answered

"As you wish" the blond man answered shrugging

"As if I will let the boy escape me! **Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei! **(**Summoning Technique: Impure World Resurrection**!)" Orochimaru said flying through hand-seals before slamming both palms on the terrain, making three coffins surface from underground.

"NO! "Hiruzen yelled hitting the coffin with _Fourth _on it with his staff crushing it before it could come out completely.

"Interesting" Naruto said watching two men wearing armours appear in front of him

"I planned to have those two kill Sarutobi-sensei, but as always a plan never survive a meeting with the enemy, I'll personally eliminate the old fool while the Shodaime and Nidaime Hokage will take care of you" the Snake Sannin said with a low growl

"Hoy, are those two strong?" Naruto asked curious

"And you ask?! Those two are human legends! They are Hasirama and Tobirama Senju, how can you not know?" Sasuke answered with wide eyes

"Grew up outside of here since I was five, can't expect me to keep tracks of every minor character on the planet, the Earth is kinda _Big_ you know?" the blond answered sighing

"It seems that we were summoned by my jutsu, oniisan" Tobirama the Nidaime said

"So it seems, so we will be forced to fight you, my boy?" Hashirama asked curious

"Apparently, this Combo ordeal is taking too long for my tastes though, I'll need to cut this short, nothing personal" Naruto answered

"You have the same markings my wife Mito used to have, are you two related?" the Shodaime asked

"I don't know, was she from Uzu? My mother was from there" the blond answered

"As I suspected, just like everyone from that village, I remember Mito managing to heal from practically everything as long as she had a full stomach, thing that she never explained to me, but she said that each villager of Uzu had various _birth-marks_ showing they possessed that ability, you have it too so it must be the truth...to think I thought it was the Kyuubi the cause of that" Hashirama said chuckling

"As I said, you people keep seeing things from a _Shinobi point of view_, largely missing the Truth" Naruto answered nodding

"Enough chatting! KILL HIM!" Orochimaru said giving the order and slapping a seal on the two Hogakes' neck.

"Stay back, I don't want my Partner to risk his life" Naruto said pushing him back

"I can help you" Sasuke said

"No offense, but if those two are _legends _I don't think you will have a lot of luck with them" the blond answered

"That's true, but I know that the First Hokage can use wood to fight while the Second can use the very humidity of the air to cast powerful Water Techniques, I can at least give you an heads-up" the boy answered

"Then I'll be fast and not leave them time to react, thank you"

"Just pay attention" Sasuke answered moving in a corner of the barrier

"Keep your eyes active, some techniques for your collection will be useful" Naruto said watching Orochimaru attack Hiruzen while the two resurrected men attacked him

"**Mokuton: Sashiki no jutsu! (Wood Release: Cutting Technique)**" Hashirama said while thrusting his hand forward to shot a long spear of wood towards the boy

"**Grand Mincing!**" the blond answered rising the kitchen knife, once the wooden spear was near enough he slashed down in a flash of light, incredibly _mincing _the jutsu all the way up to Hashirama's arm, turning both jutsu and appendage to shreds.

"UUUAAGH!" the Shodaime said falling on his knees while Tobirama moved through hand-seals

"**Suiton: Drilling water bullet!" **the man said spitting out a drill-shaped blob of water

"That's it? I was on the receiving end of a **Voice Missile** of Zebra, your technique is nothing compared to it! **Air Dicing!**" Naruto answered moving the knife in front of him in a blurry motion before giving a last horizontal slash and launching a Net made of energy that obliterated the water bullet

"Ugh!" the Second Hokage muttered barely dodging the attack that managed to _Cut_ the purple barrier around the group and leave a deep mark on the arena wall

"WHAT!?" Orochimaru yelled with wide eyes as the technique flew past he and Hiruzen

"I am Naruto, known in the Human World as 'Shadow Chef' since NO-ONE outside the woman that taught me how to cook and the man that taught me how to fight knows about my past or even my face, but today I will give you all a special _Cooking Lesson_ where you will take the part of the Ingredients!" Naruto said with a wide happy smile clashing completely with the coldness of his tone

"STOP HIM!" the Snake Sannin ordered making the two Hokages rush towards the blond

"Welcome to my kitchen! Today as an _Hors d'Ouvre_ we have the First Hokage and his tender flesh!" the man said grabbing Hashirama's hand to deliver a devastating punch that destroyed the frontal part of the Hokage's armor

"First, we start by removing the outer shell, after that we can start tenderizing the meat with strong and fast hits! _**Tendaraizā panchi! **_**(Tenderizer Punch)**" Naruto said hitting the Shodaime's chest with a fist encased in red energy and leaving a perfectly squared hole on the man's chest as he flew back against Orochimaru knocking both down.

"A-Amazing..." Sasuke muttered with wide eyes while every other fight outside the barrier stopped to watch them with an astounded silence reigning the Stadium.

"I have two main forms of attack Sasuke, the _close-range ones _like the (**Meat)** **Tenderizer **and the**Butcher** **(Knife)** **punch** to name two and the _long-range ones_ where I use my **Chopsticks**" the man said rising said energy-made chopsticks

"And your knife?" Sasuke asked

"I prefer using it only for cooking since I am a Chef, but since this is a 'Special Occasion' I will bend my own rules and use it as well to give you a little show" he answered smirking

"**Suiton: Suiryudan No Jutsu! (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet)**" Tobirama said launching a roaring water-made dragon towards Naruto

"While we are leaving the First Hokage aside to rest we will move to our next dish, for our _Soup _we have a fine exemplar of Water Dragon, to prepare this we first need to remove the head before the actual serving, **Nikuya Suraisu! (Butcher Slice)**" the blond said rising his left hand with the fingers in a claw-like position, once at striking distance he moved the hand down with the red energy around his hand momentarily forming the shape of a wide-bladed butchering knife and destroying the technique by decapitating the Water Dragon in a single fluid motion.

"BEHIND YOU!" Sasuke yelled as Hashirama managed to grab Naruto from behind in a bear hug showing that his wounds had finally healed.

"Oow! It seems that we are finally ready to Prepare both the _Salad _and the _Fish Dish!_ respectively the First and Second Hokage of Konoha! Let's start with the _Salad_, and a **Wood** **User **like Hasirama Senju sounds perfect for the part!" the blond said breaking free of Hashirama's hold to grab his face and throw the Shodaime up in the sky

"**Suiton: Suikodan no jutsu! (Water Release: Water Shark Projectile**)" Tobirama said launching six huge sharks of water towards Naruto before sprinting towards the young man

"While we are here, I'll also show you a nice little trick to easily remove scales and bones leaving out a _clean_ cut of meat, **Shunji Firetto! (Instant Filleting)**" taking the knife out again Naruto sprinted in the middle of the sharks and directly towards Tobirama with the short blade leaving behind a tiny trail of light before reaching the second Hokage and hitting him once passed near the resurrected man.

The effect was instantaneous, while the water-made sharks simply exploded the Second Hokage was instead literally _Filleted _from the neck-downuntil the cleaned skeleton was completely visible.

"And since our dear Hashirama is acting like a sore loser...I think its time to stop playing and take this seriously" the blond man said looking amused as the roots coming out from Hasirama's legs were encircling his body

"**Mokuton: Ne Shiru no Jutsu (Wood Release: Sealing Roots Technique)**" the First said before starting a new chain of Hand-seals

"**Mokuton: ****Mokusatsu Shibari no Jutsu** (**Wood Release: Smothering Binding Technique**)" Hasirama then said turning his arm into a tree and using the branches to bind the trapped blond before adding further pressure to crush him.

"You are absorbing my energy? And you really think that losing few thousands of _Kilo-calories_ will stop me? Now I understand why Zebra hates Cocky people, you lot are extremely annoying, ORRRAAAAH!" with a primal roar the blond summoned once again the grey coloured creature making his muscle bulge out until he broke free from the two jutsus' hold on him.

**With Hiruzen and Orochimaru - **

"What's happening?" Orochimaru asked worried as the blond man kept battling the two former Hokages

"He is enacting a _Cooking Lesson_ using sensei and his brother as ingredients" Hiruzen muttered in answer

"This is bad...I need to retreat, this situation is going out of control" the Sannin said jumping away from the old man

"Drop the barrier! We are leaving!" the man ordered to his four guards

"HAI!" the four said nodding

"Now-now...this is no good, I was about to prepare the _Meat Dish_ and I wanted to use your guards, luckily I have a really good recipe that is also really fast to prepare, let me get the necessary parts and I'll show you!" Naruto said spinning on himself while summoning the red chopsticks to grab the four guards in a crushing grip

"And now we can cut the meat in nice little squares for us to cook, Sasuke? Do you mind giving me some fire?" the blond asked throwing the four ninjas up in the air

"H-Hai! **Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu! (Fire Release: phoenix sage fire technique!)**" Sasuke said spitting out several fireballs, inwardly surprised at how _easy_ this time he could use the jutsu and how less _tiring_ it was for him.

"Good job and now the final touch for the '_Shinobi Flambé'_ **Rasen-jō surasshu (Spiral Slash)**" spinning on himself once again the blond created a small twister of energy that moved upward taking the fire jutsu with it, covering the four guards in deep cuts that then the intense flame burned to a crisp, leaving the four shinobi hit the floor barely alive.

"This is not over yet!" Orochimaru said running away while the two Hokage moved to attack once again Naruto

"I can see that no matter what you two keep returning...does it mean that I'll have to completely destroy your bodies and kill the summoner? It's worth a try" the blond said rising the **chopsticks** and surrounding his body in grey energy

"This will be my _Main Course_ and _Dessert,_ Orochimaru...**Hashi-ō no taihō (Chopsticks King's Cannon)**" Naruto said focusing an huge quantity of energy on his hand and making the Chopsticks grow into enormous size before _throwing them_ towards the Sannin and completely erasingHashirama and Tobirama's bodies in the meantime.

"**Kuchiyose: Sanjuu Rashomon! (Summonig: Triple Rashomon!)**"moving rapidly the Snake master summoned three immense metallic doors adorned by demonic faces in order to defend himself.

With a deafening explosion the three summoned doors went blasted to pieces making scraps of metal rain everywhere before dispelling and disappear, leaving the surprised Sannin getting up on shaking legs that went subsequently removed by a new slash of the blond's kitchen knife.

"D-D-Damn you! This isn't over!" Orochimaru said opening his mouth wide and surprisingly _spitting out _a new body to try and flee.

"Oh no you don't! **Rasengan!**" Jiraiya said sprinting at the man's back with a swirling sphere of energy in his hand, obliterating the pale man's back with the power behind the technique.

"GRAAAAH!" the snake master screamed in pain as he tried to spit out a body again

"Just die already! **Katon: ****Gokakyuu no jutsu (Great Fireball technique)**" Sasuke yelled spitting an huge fireball towards Orochimaru

"I am with you, **Air Slice!**" Naruto said launching the _net _of energy at the same time

"AAAAAARGH!" Screaming in pain the Snake Sannin finally met his death as his newly made body was cut down to bits and then burned into nothingness, leaving behind an handful of ashes in place of his body.

"He is dead finally..." Hiruzen said sadly

"Well, it was funny, as a _Drink_ for this Full Course Menu I suggest a simple white wine to go with the dishes I prepared by the way...anyone else here that wants to help me _cooking_?" the blond man asked looking at the invading forces with the grey entity behind him licking hungrily its lips while the man's **Intimidation **stormed the whole Stadium with even more power than before.

"Retreat! Retreat!" a man from Suna yelled in fear as the forces of the desert village hurried to abandon the mission while the few from Oto still alive were being captured or directly killed by the forces of Konoha.

"I think it's time for us to go then, Sasuke, if you still want to make a Combo with me of course" Naruto said removing completely his cloak to show a simple dark-red jumpsuit with black details on arms and legs and black shoes.

"Are you kidding? As if I will refuse, you killed two Legends and a Sannin, I still can't believe you did that!" the boy answered

"Legends? Knocking Master Jirou managed to Stop the planet's spinning with a single punch, Midora alone can eat the nine bijus with his **Hungry Tongue** technique in a single bite, the Heavenly King Sunni can lift thousands of Tons with his Hair alone without even trying while Toriko-kun can punch mountains to dust quite easily, out there there are men able to simply DESTROY this village with a single attack and able to tank techniques powerful enough to level this whole country with barely few scratches, from your point of view those three were _Legends_, from my experience they were nothing short of amateurs" the blond answered for the shock of the presents

"And you? Where are you in terms of power?" Sasuke asked with wide eyes

"Me? In the Organization I was part of until few years ago I was a _Sous-chef_ and the third strongest member even if Alfaro still beats me in raw power, with him its a tie for the third place since I surpass him technique-wise by the way, but compared to Starjun and Midora? I am not even close to them, but once I am done here I plan to get stronger no matter what it takes" the other answered

"What's your goal then?" the boy then asked

"Not here..." Naruto answered looking around with narrowed eyes

"Okay then, let's go" the Uchiha boy said

"You sure?" the blond asked

"Yes, I don't know why, but every single Cell of my body is screaming to follow you, as if you were holding the keys for something inside me to finally _awake_, if you help me getting stronger to defeat Itachi and finally find a Reason to live, to become something 'More' than just a soldier then I'll accompany you wherever you want until your Mission will be completed" he answered

"Thank you, Partners then?" Naruto asked presenting his hand

"It would be an honor, Naruto-san" Sasuke said shaking the blond's hand

"Huhuhu! Drop the honorifics and just call me 'Naruto'...you know what's funny? I think that if we keep this up we may even manage to reach 'That Ingredient', I am glad" the man said smiling

"WAIT! I can't let you do that!" Hiruzen said taking a fighting stance with Jiraiya doing the same near him

"What you want is meaningless, old man I..." Naruto started saying before freezing as a new **Intimidation** flowed the area making him growl in annoyance.

"Wha-wha-what's that?!" a masked jounin with grey hair yelled in fear as a massive creature appeared over the Stadium.

"Sasuke, let me present you Starjun and his 'Special Occasions Pet' the _Big Bang Shark_" Naruto said sighing

The Big Bang Shark was an enormous shark-like beast with a long and rotund body and dark purple skin with twelve fins on each side showing large black, copper-like sharp teeth as it growled at the people in the village, its eight bright-beady red eyes scanning the area and the numerous large dorsal fins on its back moving erratically.

"I finally found you, Naruto, come! Midora-sama is calling back all _Bishokukai _for a meeting, follow me" Starjun said from the beast's head.

Starjun was a tall pale-skinned man with long black hair and a large burn-marks on the left side of his face and neck.

He was wearing a large black cloak with numerous crescent shaped buttons and a black cape along with a formal black top and trousers complete with a white sash tied around his waist and a white napkin stuffed in his collar, on his feet black armored boots.

"Wonderful! Exactly what I needed, having my former colleagues finally find my location! come Sasuke, better not let their _Boss_ waiting, that's never a good idea...Kuroi!" Naruto said as from his shadow the black creature rose to form again a spinning disk under his feet

"I am coming!" the boy said jumping on the disk himself

"Whatever intentions you had, old man, it doesn't matter, I have orders I can't disobey" Starjun said coldly as the _Tokage_ deposited the blond and the Uchiha near him before turning into a scarfaround Naruto's neck.

"STOP! You can't take them away!" Hiruzen yelled as the Big Bang Shark turned to leave

"I am sorry, but you have no say in this, farewell" Naruto answered as the giant creature sprinted away so fast it seemed to teleport.

"What have I done? What happened to you, Naruto?" Hiruzen said sobbing quietly.

**With Starjun and the two - **

"I know Kappai was a contact of yours, Naruto" Starjun said without looking at the blond

"H-How?" the man asked shaking

"Midora-sama promised him the same thing you did...GOD" the other answered

"And he believed that Midora-sama will shareGOD? Old idiot" the blond said snarling

"GOD?" Sasuke asked curious

"The Main Course of Acacia, a man considered a Legend and 'The Bringer of the Gourmet Age' whose Full Course Menu contains the pinnacle of every ingredient present, past and future of this planet, and at the head of said ingredients reside GOD, The Greatest Ingredient of them all, an Ingredient so precious and delicious that even a World-wide War spanning for 100 years stopped thanks to it and now hunted down by Midora, the Leader of the Organization I am an ex-member of, the _Bishokukai (Gourmet Corp),_ the 'Good Guys' of the _IGO (International Gourmet Organization) _and the various _Bishokuya (Gourmet Hunters)_ around the globe" Naruto explained

"He is your partner?" Starjun asked curious

"He is, once ready we planned to go 'Ingredient Hunting' a little" the blond said casually

"I know you plan to capture GOD, Naruto, don't lie to me" the other said

"So? Midora-sama told you to kill me? Or it was Alfaro?"

"No, Alfaro still doesn't know about it, I was just told that you needed to be present as well, the three of us will hear whatever information that old Nitro had for you and only then Midora-sama will decide what to do with you" Starjun answered almost _saddened_

"What will happen?" Sasuke asked worried

"If ever, I hope they will spare you at least...sorry to drag you into this" Naruto answered

"Midora-sama was displeased when you decided to leave the Organization, a man of your abilities is still considered useful for our mission"

"I am his _little project_, but since I came to resent your methods against ingredients I had no other choice" Naruto answered

"And yet, your Food Luck and talent as Chef are top notch, killing you would be a waste" Starjun said

"You can still try with having Komatsu-san join you to take my place" he replied

"You know very well that Toriko and the other Heavenly Kings would stop any attempt, by having you back we can instead have someone 'close enough' to him"

"Is that man that good?" Sasuke asked curious

"To put it in numbers...if he is LV 100 as a chef then I am LV 96. If his Food Luck, which is the abilityto find rare ingredients easily and being chosenby them, is LV 100 then I am LV 98...the only difference is that contrary to him I am capable of fighting and defend myself WAY better than him, the two of us can also hear 'The Voice of the Ingredients' making our differences resides on abilities as chefs alone" Naruto answered

"Voice of the ingredients?"

"It's the ability to _understand_ the Will of the ingredients and follow their _voice_ to understand how to prepare them, even if an ingredient is 'new' to a chef, if he or she can hear its voice then they will be able to prepare it, depending on their skill of course" Starjun explained

"Food wants to be eaten, to be enjoyed, the more it is praised by the ones consuming it the better it tastes" Naruto added

"Incredible..." Sasuke muttered surprised

"We arrived at the temporary Headquarters where we will have our meeting, prepare for the landing" Starjun said as the biggest creature Sasuke had ever seen came into view

"That, my Partner, it's a beast with a Capture Level of 972 called _Yousai_, a Stronghold Rhino, impressive isn't it?" Naruto said chuckling at the boy's slack-jawed expression.

"9-972? it means that it's stronger than the Kyuubi?!" Sasuke said with wide eyes

"Probably...almost certainly...I don't know nor care actually" Naruto answered shrugging

The Stronghold Rhino was a gigantic quadruped easily the size of a large island with an heavy body covered in thick leathery light-colored skin, the top half of its body was covered in what resembled an heavy metallic armor dark in color that mainly covered most of its long tail, its leg joints (which resemble _pauldrons_) and its back.

Its face was also covered in metallic armor although it appeared to be more attached to its skin and resembled scales, it also possessed three curved horns, two over its eyes and one on its nose, of the same metallic material of the armor.

The metal covering on its face had a few sections near its eyes and on the top of its head which appeared to have windows built into them.

The most incredible thing of the Stronghold Rhino was what appeared to be a gigantic metal _fortress_ with several buildings that was on its back, the structure was heavily armed with guns and mortars and mainly built upon a large metal platform of armor covering the huge rhino's back.

At the center of the fortress was a very large and thick building covered in several blade-like spikes and mounted guns and launchers built around its outside, around it stood smaller cylindrical buildings with numerous rectangular windows with rounded tops, in-between each of these buildings it could be seen other buildings, smaller ones with mounted launchers on their roofs.

"The Fortress is perfectly habitable, those are remnants of ancient civilizations that used to build there to better defend their homes, once a Yousai is too old a younger specimen take charge of the 'used' fortress and start carrying it by its own choice, its body will then simply adjust to the Fortress it is carrying, apparently their species _adapted _into carrying that on their backs so much it became almost a need for them to do that" Naruto explained.

"Exactly, now move, Midora-sama is waiting in the Main Tower" Starjun said as the three jumped from the Shark into the Fortress through a wide window in the giant beast's side.

"NARUTO-SAMA IS BACK!" barely an instant after arriving a young man yelled at the top of his lungs, making the fortress tremble under the stampede of several people running towards them.

"Welcome back, Naruto-sama" a muscular man with a mustache and beard with tusks on his mouth said bowing

"So you are still alive, Barrygamon, impressive" Naruto said coldly, to Sasuke's surprise the blond's _presence _was getting thicker and thicker, making him impose his presence in a truly suffocating way while Barrygamon looked somehow pleased by the blond's words.

"What you are feeling is Naruto's presence getting 'awakened', while taking you away he just stopped it from showing, but now he is freeing it, it's not uncommon to see wild beasts flee when he approaches them" Strajun explained with a subtle smirk on his face.

"Who's the brat, Naruto-sama? A new chef for us?" a light-skinned man with asymmetrical fangs asked taking a fistful of Sasuke's hair to twist the boy's face towards him.

His answer was the giant grey fist of Naruto's **Shokuyoku no Akuma** (**Appetite Devil)** grabbing him in a crushing grip making the man's bones _whine_ under the pressure.

"That boy will become my Partner once I am done training him and awakening his dormant Gourmet Cells, put your hands down, Bogie Woods" the blond said without looking at him

"Calm down now, Naruto" Startjun said as his own 'presence' now went unleashed, further scaring Sasuke due to the higher intensity

"_He feels stronger than Naruto, and yet...he seems almost 'proud' of Naruto's level of power, not showing superiority to him or treating him lowly...why?_" the Uchiha boy thought as Bogie hurriedly jumped back once released

"Sorry, sorry! It won't happen anymore!" the young man said frantically as every other man present moved to give them a wide berth

"I should have known that you would be source of ruckus, Naruto, I guess Starjun was successful in convincing you to come back willingly" a new voice said joining the scene

"Sasuke, let me present you Alfaro, he is the 'waiter' of the Bishokukai and Midora-sama's personal aide" Naruto said moving an hand towards the tall man

He had very pale skin and a very large nose and, incredibly, eight arms.

He had long black hair and was wearing a very formal attire which consists of a black tuxedo ensemble and a black cape, two red earrings that are fashioned after kitchen tools, the one on his left ear appeared to be designed to resemble a corkscrew and the one on his right appeared to be designed after a bottle opener.

Underneath his cape Sasuke could see being hidden numerous plates, thing that had the boy wondering the reason for.

"Always the bother of our Organization, Naruto...usually whoever leaves our ranks is _rewarded_ with death, and yet Midora-sama all this time had always been adamant in having you back, this is something I will never understand" Alfaro said glaring at the men present making everyone hurry to leave, leaving only him, Starjun, Naruto and Sasuke in the corridor.

"I am just as surprised as you, but since you people managed to track me down I had no choice other than coming here, I hope the boy won't be a problem" Naruto answered looking at the 'waiter' intently

"Hn! Your cells evolved a lot since we last saw each other, I am afraid I'll have to step up my game or you may get the strange idea of usurping my role as Midora-sama's assistant" the man answered twisting rapidly on his heels to guide them further inside.

"We both know that you are still stronger than me...even if that 'overwhelming difference' had recently been reduced into just a small margin, and I have to thank the _Mellow_ _Cola _for that, here Sasuke, have some" Naruto answered smirking giving a flask to Sasuke

"T-Thank you" the boy answered taking a tentative sip and going wide eyed at the huge carbonation it possessed

"Drink as much as you want, I have plenty back home where we will soon start awakening your Cells, all that plain food you grew up with forced them to go into 'sleep' but it's not hard to re-activate them," the blond said grinning at how fast the young boy was drinking, enraptured by the taste.

"_Mellow Cola_? So it was you the one to take it, we thought it was the Bishokuya Zebra, he may not be pleased to know that" Starjun said as the group kept walking

"I was just passing by and that poor Salamander Sphinx just seemed so eager to free itself from that burden that I couldn't resist," Naruto answered with his grin getting wider

"Then I suggest you to not boast about it with Zebra, chances are he won't like that, luckily we did not send Grinpatch or he would have killed the beast out of disappointment" the man answered

"That man needs to learn finesse, or to have someone put him out of his misery altogether," Naruto said shaking his head.

"Stay quiet, we are about to meet Midora-sama, keep the boy on a tight leash as I won't admit any scene from him" Alfaro said once the group reached a rather tall, imposing door.

"Stay close to me" the blond said driving Sasuke closer.

"Okay" the boy answered nodding.

As the door opened Sasuke's breath faltered, the man that was sitting in the throne-like chair at the very end of the room was emanating an aura of sheer "Hunger" so intense that had the boy's knees felt weak, he thought that with Zabuza and then Orochimaru he had gained enough experience with imposing people to sustain everything, but the pure presence the man was generating was on a totally different level than the two combined even.

Following Naruto and Starjun's lead he knelt down once in front of the Leader of the Bishokukai.

"Midora-sama, as you requested we managed to bring Naruto here," Alfaro said moving closer to the man before kneeling down.

"You had always been good at hiding your traces, Naruto, I should have known that my best spy would have been difficult to find even to us if you tried hard enough," Midora said with a tone bordering the amused

"Thank you, Midora-sama," the blond answered without rising his head

"And the boy?" Midora asked

"He says it will be the partner of his Combo once finished training him," Starjun answered

"Interesting, you know very well that I am giving you a special treatment for your leaving our Organization, I hope,"

"Yes, Midora-sama, but after being almost killed by Joah I preferred keeping a low-profile until my wounds healed," Naruto answered

"For him to cut through you it must have been a strong attack, how did you survive?" Alfaro asked curious

"My Gourmet Cells are specialized in healing and regeneration, but even them would have had an hard time blocking that man's **Satan Mince** attack, luckily I started wearing a coat made from _Diamond Tick _carapaceunder my clothes in secret once infiltrated NEO" the blond answered

"Diamond Tick?" Sasuke whispered

"It's a Gourmet World parasite whit the skin as hard as a diamond that can be used to craft knives, it's extremely hard to cut," Starjun explained

"It took the blunt of the attack so to let me heal in peace after feigning my death, it still took me months to recover...the bastard even stole Kuroi from me to reach the Gourmet Arena," Naruto added

"Yes, I was surprised to see your pet helping Joah, so that's why you couldn't take part to the attack, I thought you had been a coward," Alfaro said

"That's enough, I have a new mission for you, Naruto, do this and I will forget your leaving us," Midora said getting up, further shocking Sasuke with his imposing height

"What is it, Midora-sama?" Naruto asked

"You'll do what you do best, you'll be my eyes and ears in the enemy ranks, this time in the IGO and the Four Heavenly Kings group," the Bishokukai Leader said walking towards the kneeling blond

"Won't Zebra and Coco discover me? They can tell when someone tell them lies," he asked

"That is up to you, I personally trained you in those 120 years where you were with me before openly join the Bishokukai, I want you to succeed, had I not seen potential, I would have left you on that island where you shipwrecked," Midora said

"120 years!? You are 125? how's possible? You disappeared only twelve years ago!" Sasuke asked, getting a glare from Naruto as an answer for talking out of place

"Teach him manners, Naruto, not only to be strong," Midora said freezing the Uchiha boy solid with a stern glare

"I'll do it, Midora-sama, I'll take him with me, hopefully he will work as an 'insurance' about me being not a spy," the blond chef said

"What's your name, boy?" Midora asked

"Sasuke Uchiha, Midora-sama," the boy replied

"From your point of view Naruto disappeared for twelve years, for him and me it has been 120 years since his training started, the Gourmet World is filled with mysterious lands, places where the sea takes the appearance of mountains, islands where the rain fall down at a slow-motion speed and in your case, places where time flows in a different way than normal," Midora explained, sitting back on his throne.

"Scientist theorized that somehow the planet had created those areas to counterbalance the ones where gravity is either lower or higher than normal, the Elemental Countries are in a "_Slow Area"_ meaning that in there Time flows slower, an year in Konoha equals to TEN in the Human World, a possessor of Gourmet Cells age at a rate greatly slower than a normal human and I get old even slower than that since my Cells heal and regenerate at an astounding rate even for Gorumet Cells' users standards, that helped me appear younger than what I really am," Naruto explained

"Others instead say that those Time fluctuations happens because somewhere there is an ingredient that 'eats' time, making the general area around it obtain that particularity, but neither of the two had ever been demonstrated," Starjun added

"Now that the kid was informed and his curiosity sated, I am hungry, Naruto; I want you to cook me something like you used to, then you will start your mission," Midora ordered

"As you wish, Midora-sama," the blond replied getting up, Sasuke following him closely behind

"We have everything at ready, Midora-sama," Alfaro said as cooking equipment was being carried inside the wide room

"Good, while you cook, we will finally hear what your spy wanted to tell you," Midora said

"Am I in trouble?" Naruto asked rhetorically

"Considering you wanted GOD for yourself? Yes you are, depending how well you will cook though I may forgive you this one time," the man answered

"Luckily I like to work under pressure," Naruto muttered sighing, tying a bandanna on his head as the flame under the wide iron plate roared to life.

"Yehehehehe! You know how this work, Naru-chan! The best offer wins!" a old-sounding voice said as a new entity entered the room

"What's that thing?" Sasuke asked, watching Naruto cut some meat at blinding speed

"He is Kappai, a Nitro...an old as fuck one," the blond answered

"Age is nothing to us, you should know that! Yehehehehe!" the bird-looking creature answered, it was covered in a thick pale-green fur with few grey patches here and there showing its age, the head part had a wide balding area on th top, the beck-like mouth snapping open and closed at he laughed, showing an huge number of razor-sharp teeth inside.

"What is this information you wanted to sell to my apprentice?" Midora asked

"It's a tasty one, Yehehehe! I have found the 'Path', Naru-chan, it can be done!" the old Nitro said with another chilling laugh

"The Path?" Starjun asked

"The path to GOD of course, you really think that the so called 'Royalty' of the Nitro Tribe would let GOD go unchecked for five hundred years?" Kappai answered

"You mean that GOD can be reached before the Gourmet Eclipse occurs?" Midora asked

"GOD is nothing if not the heart of the Colossal Beetle, and as any beetle it goes through stages: Egg, larva, chrysalis and then adult, the Gourmet Solar Eclipse coincide with the moment the adult comes out to lay the eggs," Kappai answered

"Yes, the ideal moment to prepare it is immediately after the beetle had finished laying the egg, the bloodstream is still 'accelerated' from the deal, making it's meat, and more importantly the heart, get soaked in a special kind of amino acid that amplifies the flavor of its meat, making it more mature the more stressful it is. In other words, the sooner after the laying it is prepared the more delicious it becomes, the taste so divine that even eaten raw it far surpass every other dish of this world," Alfaro said nodding

"Colossal beetle?" Sasuke asked, still enraptured by the speed and precision the blond was cooking with

"An insect so big that a single step of his can easily sink an island, compared to it even Konoha is just a pebble on the ground he can easily squash without noticing," Naruto answered

"A beast that reigns unopposed in the Gourmet World, so large that it only lays one egg since there is not a single predator so fool as to attack it," the old Nitro added

"And you say that we can find it? I personally killed the Beetle years ago, but we never found the egg," Midora said with narrowed eyes

"Unfortunately Joa destroyed the heart as a last insult to us before dying," Starjun said shaking his head

"As I said, those so called 'noble' Blue Nitro couldn't permit that something happened to the egg, so every time one is found, they bring it in a secure place for it to mature healthy, protected and with all the nutrients it may need and more," Kappai said

"And you know where the egg is?" Midora asked

"They tried to kill me because I tried to discover it when I was just a young boy...but after you all, the IGO and NEO moved war to them and each other for GOD, I had all the freedom I needed to finally take the informations I wanted, It has been twenty years since the egg was lay, by now it's almost time for it to be moved," the old Nitro answered

"Moved?" Naruto asked

"Yehehehe! Right now it's still too _fresh_ to be touched properly, it takes five hundred years for a Colossal Beetle to complete its life-circle and lay the egg, even we Nitro have to wait for the shell to harden before moving it away without the risk of breaking it, but once hard enough it will be moved in a special area," Kappai answered

"How long will it take?" Alfaro asked

"Five years, once done they will move the egg in a special area, but no matter how deep I searched or how many Nitro I tortured, no-one could give me where it will be brought, I suspect only a Blue Nitro knows it, and even then, those blasted traitors will probably decide at the last moment, they have several dozens choices, like that no-one will ambush them," Kappai said sighing

"So we need to find the egg one year before them, take it away in a secluded area under OUR control and then wait for the beetle to be born," Naruto said

"Exactly, my boy! Yehehehe! But it won't be easy, at the moment I don't know where the Beetle had lay the egg we need, but I should be able to find it in those four years we need,"

"Good, tell the men to start building an artificial area for us to use to keep the Beetle, we can't use a natural area of the Gourmet World, the Nitro may know every place good enough for that and start attacking each one in order to catch us, we need an artificial environment we will be able to move in case of emergency," Midora ordered

"I'll do it right away, Midora-sama," Starjun said, leaving the throne room with ample and rapid steps

"Your food is ready, Midora-sama," Naruto said pushing the biggest tray Sasuke had ever seen,

"You made all of that in this little time!?" the boy said in awe at the ridiculous amount of food the blond had moved in front of the tall man, he was perfectly sure that even the Akimichi Clan should every member being starving would be unable to finish everything

"From meat to fish to fruits and alcohol, I prepared only the best, Midora-sama, the _Titanic Beef Dragon_ is stuffed with _hazelnut dolphins_, your favorite, sorry the wait," Naruto said bowing, pointing at a beef-faced dragon easily as big as a couple of elephants put together.

"You still remembered, yes, it was the first dish you prepared for me, even your speed grew since I last saw you," Midora said with a tiny nod, it took the time for Sasuke to blink to see the numerous plates turn completely empty and clean.

"_THAT WAS FAST!_" the Uchiha boy thought, watching with wide eyes as the empty table was slowly took away from some Bishokukai.

"Hn! As always you are one of the few chef that can prepare a proper meal, I had to kidnap several thousands of those _amateurs_ to even get close to you and Starjun in terms of quality...welcome back in the Bishokukai, Naruto, now take your Partner and go, your mission start right now, if the IGO moves I want you to tell me as soon as the order leaves the President's mouth" Midora said with a tiny, almost unnoticeable smile.

"I'll do as you command, Midora-sama, come Sasuke!" Naruto said giving another bow

"I am coming...ehm...Midora-sama?" the boy asked uncertain

"Yes?" the tall man said

"Thank you for sparing my partner!" Sasuke said with a bow himself

"It was a special occasion, I won't tolerate another try, now go, and see to get strong yourself, I won't hesitate at having you 'removed' should you become an hindrance, this mission is too important" Midora said

"We won't delude you," the Uchiha boy answered,

**Some time later – half-way towards the Human World - **

Both blond and Uchiha were rapidly soaring the sky riding the once again disk-shaped Tokage, a worried expression on Naruto's face

"This is not good, Midora is once again hunting GOD," he said

"What do you plan to do?" Sasuke asked

"I didn't left the Bishokukai Corp only because I came to hate the way those bastards use to kill everything on sight when hunting for ingredients, I left because I had found a new reason to live, even if I owe to Midora a lot I couldn't keep following them," Naruto answered

"Your found a new reason to live?"

"I love ingredients, Sasuke, I love to watch them in their home, growing, living and prospering, I love to cook them in ways that brings happiness not only towards who eats them, but to the ingredients themselves, I couldn't do it with the Bishokukai since they only aim at the absolute control of every ingredient of this world, uncaring if those went extinct in the meantime from their overtaking them,"

"So? What did you do?" Sasuke asked,

"I joined another group of people, this group is interested in protecting and studying the ingredients, stopping as much of them as possible from disappearing, I act as researcher and spy for them in the Bishokukai, and apparently I will start once again to be their spy, feeding controlled information to the Bad Guys and helping the Good Guys to save the world, mind joining me?" Naruto answered

"I am too deep in this to come back by now, I guess I'll have to stick with you or I will be killed...maybe it wasn't such a good idea accepting your Combo proposal," Sasuke said with a sigh

"That's a lie and you know it, you want to see what the world has to offer and go on an incredible adventure," the blond said with a wide smirk

"...Yeah, I want to do that," the other admitted looking down

"Then, once again, nice to meet you! Naruto Namikaze _'Gourmet Spy'_ of the **0th Biotope,** an universally known as the **Shadow Chef**" Naruto said with a wide smile

"Nice to meet you, Sasuke Uchiha, Future **Saiseya,**" the boy answered shaking his hand

With that a new Combo was formed, both members with their respective dreams, but they will first learn to work together, will they be able? or will their Combo be short lived? only time will tell.

**With this I finished the prologue of my new story, I don't know if it will be as good as "The sexy Umbra Wizard" was, but I hope it will entertain you all the same.**

**As I said THIS was an introduction of Naruto with OP (over powered) abilities, from the next chapter on it will return to more "normal" territories, I hope at least.**

**I will also explain why the blond uses Chopsticks to attack, so have patience, it has a meaning that is not "it looks cool", have faith. ^ ^**

**-A little extra for Naruto, this is his Full Course Menu -**

**_Hors D'Ouvre_: Earthquake Three-Tailed Lizard's grilled tails (Capture Level 2298)**

**_Soup:_ King Land Shark's fin Soup (Capture Level _Unknown)_**

**_Fish_ _Dish_: Man-eating Transparent Shark Sushimi boat ( Capture Level 2120)**

**_Meat Dish_: Fury-Horse Grand Steak (Capture Level 3503)**

**_Main_ _Course:_ Island-Sized Miso Ramen Delight (Capture Level _immeasurable)_**

**_Salad:_ Upside-down Mountain grass-field salad (Capture Level 2579)**

**_Dessert:_ King-Chocolate-Tiger flambé crepes (Capture Level 3129)**

**_Drink:_ Endless-drunkenness Oasis White Wine (Capture Level _Unknown)_**

**Other than being High-level and high-class ingredients, all of them have in common a flavor delicate and yet almost addicting, exception made for the _Main Dish_ that is the only one to have a taste that is immediately intense and overwhelming (the _Island-sized_ in the name is not a case, it's really a portion of Ramen so big that the broth alone can fill a small lake, no one except Zebra and Midora ever finished a portion of that)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Someone once said...that I have too much Imagination for my own good ^ ^ here we finally meet Sasuke's pairing, the Yandere OC that "User 627" created for me, thank you buddy! ^ ^  
**

" **You bastard"** - demon talking / jutsu

"Let's finish this" - dialogue

" _Can it get any worse? _" - during flashback/ Thoughts

**Pairing: Naruto/Melk III (OC daughter of Melk II and Komatsu) and Kopuriko**

**Sasuke/OC Fate Valentine (created by _User 627_, thanks Buddy ^^)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything else I will use nor I make a profit out of this, I am writing just for the pleasure of doing it.**

**Chapter 2: Cooking Festival, the Shadow Chef takes off the Hood! part 1 -  
**

Someone once said...that there is a miraculous well from which natural curry roux gushes mixed with wild herbs_...a Curry Well!_

And that there is sponge cake smelling of the perfectly sweet scent of buttermilk, thickly overflowing with syrup the colour of caramel... _A pancake fruit_!

The world is in the Gourmet Age.

The age of seeking out yet-unknown tastes...

**Sky above Hotel Gourmet - **

The blond young man and his partner were silently flying towards a tall building resembling an huge tower made with piled-up plates, the chef of the duo calmly watching as their target grew close, stopping abruptly once the Hotel came into view.

"Why do we stopped?" Sasuke asked curious.

"I want you to pay attention, right now in that Hotel people are celebrating the recent changing in the IGO Chef Ranking, some of the World's greatest chefs will be there with top-notch security AND the Four Heavenly Kings, I want you to stay close to me and never lower your guard...I just hope that the President will be there as well," Naruto said with narrowed eyes.

"Why?" the boy asked, immediately getting on the defensive.

"I am not liked by the Four Kings as they don't know my position in the IGO, they believe me to be their enemy so they won't be exactly friendly, pay attention," the blond answered, the two once again moving towards the Gourmet Hotel.

"I am with you, are they so dangerous?" Sasuke asked.

"We are just now entering in Zebra's hearing range and Toriko has probably already 'smelled' us as I was purposely making sure the wind carried our smell, and I am almost certain that Coco will have already 'predicted' our arrival as well," Naruto answered.

"You...are you sure?"

**Hoe Dama! (Roar Bullet)** a voice called out with a growl, making a ghostly figure with slicked-back purple hair appear and grab Naruto in its _fist._

"Zebra...I am surprised you waited this long before greeting us," Naruto said calmly.

"THAT is Zebra!?" Sasuke asked with wide eyes.

"Just his voice, he can project it pretty far if he wants to," the blond answered.

"_We were waiting to see what ya wanted, bastard! Who's the brat?"_ the figure asked with an echoing voice.

"My partner in my Combo, is the IGO President there? I need to talk to him," the blond chef asked, unconcerned with the huge man grabbing him.

"_What do ya want from the President?_" Zebra asked.

"Tell him that the Shadow Chef is here," the other answered.

"_Tch! What am I, your secretary?_" the man roared.

"Just do it, please, we both hate to waste time," Naruto answered with a sigh.

"_Don't ya move, or I'll break yar sorry ass in two,_" Zebra answered, making the **Roar Bullet **disperse.

"Always the charming boy," Naruto said with a chuckle.

"I don't like him," Sasuke said.

"Good, never lie to him, he hates cocky people and liars, he heard you telling that, but at least he knows you are sincere," the other answered, smirking as the boy paled a little.

"_He said to come here, but do not try anything funny, I will watch ya,_" echoed in the two's ears.

"Well, that's sounds like an invitation, let's go, Kuroi!" Naruto said with a wide smirk, making the Tokage under the two sprint towards the Hotel.

**Gourmet Hotel Top Floor – Restaurant - **

The presents, the current "Top 30" of the IGO Chef Ranking that had been invited by both IGO and the Gourmet Hotel for a private party, were at the moment tensing up at the fact that a mysterious Bishokukai was heading towards them with the permission of the IGO president, the fact he said to be coming just to talk with the heavily drinking man didn't seem to make them any more confident about the meeting outcome.

"Bwahahaha! Why so serious guys? He is not here to cause troubles this time, it's all business!" Mansam, IGO president, said with a thundering laugh while emptying a whole bottle of _Summer_ _Whiskey_ in one go.

"The one coming here was there with Midora when we fought for GOD, you can't expect us to be calm with him around," Toriko answered, his narrowed eyes never leaving the direction from which he knew the blond was coming.

"Protect our daughter, Komatsu-kun, I'll take care of him," Melk II said, a pair of thin kitchen knives already in her hands.

"I'll fight too, I-I won't stay and watch," the short young man answered, taking out his knife with trembling hands.

Around them every other chef and their partners, along the various IGO guards and members of the Gourmet Mafia tensed even more as the blond chef and his partner reached one of the windows.

"Stand back, let him in," Mansam ordered, walking towards the window to let the duo in.

"Long time no see, boss! Still handsome?" Naruto asked with a cheerful voice, ignoring completely the various intimidating auras of the presents and the **Appetite Devils** of the Heavenly Kings that were glaring at him.

"Did you call me Mansam?...no wait, there is a mistake here..." the man answered with a wide smile, before dropping it and turning thoughtful.

"Always ready to crash a party, dumbass!" a tall man with red skin and a long nose said smirking, he was the only one not worried.

"What can I say, Brunch? I like to be the centre of attention!" Naruto answered with a shrug.

"Bwahahaha! Calm down people, he is one of us, you are looking at the real face of 'The Shadow Chef'_" _Mansam said with a long laugh.

"WHAT?! The _'Unranked'?"_ Komatsu yelled with wide eyes.

"Unranked?" Toriko asked.

"A chef that has not a place in the IGO ranking because he refused to give his identity, technically for him to cook is illegal since he can't confirm anything about himself and the ingredients he uses, but this didn't stop his talent from being famous all over the world," Coco explained with a sigh.

"As for now, should he come out and being admitted, he would be ranked 9th instead of me...right, sensei?" a blond man with a bandanna and a triangular tattoo on his cheek said with a wide smile.

"Sensei?!" several people yelled in surprise.

"Kurakage, my little cute pupil, how's you ramen?" Naruto asked with a smile, hugging the man as tightly as he could.

"Still nothing compared to yours, but I am getting there," Kurakage answered with a chuckle.

"The '_Ramen Master_'...is his student?" Komatsu muttered.

"NARUTO-KUN!" while her father was still too shocked to act, the young girl behind Komatsu launched herself in the blond's arms, laughing happily once he hugged back.

"Melk-chan, I missed you so much," he said happily.

The girl was Melk III, the perfect replica of her mother, unfortunately she had also inherited her father's short height, making her short enough to reach only the blond's shoulders.

"So he is the boy you were dating..." Melk II said with narrowed eyes.

"Yup! I can't let that Kopuriko take him away from me,".

"Ufufufu! With all due respect, I still fail to see you as a threat to my relationship with him," a calm voice said as another woman joined the scene, poor Sasuke too could feel his blood travelling south at blinding speed.

"_Dayum!_" he thought looking at her.

Kopuriko was a beautiful dark skinned woman with long dark pink hair and a slim hourglass figure, Her outfit consisted of long, skinny black bones resembling claws that were wrapped around her body making it very revealing as it barely covered most of her body except her nipples, overall giving her a very exotic and tribal appearance.

She was also wearing intestines made to resemble bands around her neck and arms and one around her waist which appeared to be a single long intestine which she wears like a belt, She was wearing an odd headdress resembling the head of a snake-like creature with numerous bumps on its skull and from the skull there a tail growing from it came out wrapping around her waist several times giving it the appearance of a skirt.

Overall her attire looked like a small skeletal creature wrapped around her body, simply _stripperrific_.

"Kopuriko-chan, are you two still arguing?" Naruto asked with a chuckle.

"Let's say that she can't admit defeat," Kopuriko answered, latching to his arm with a serene smile on her face.

"Hands down, he is mine!" Melk III hissed in anger.

"Honey, a proper woman should never fight over a man," Melk II tried saying.

"Talks the one that fought Nono-san for the right to date dad!" the girl answered, sticking out her tongue at the embarrassed woman.

"EEEEEH!? Really!?" Komatsu yelled with wide eyes.

"It was not my fault, I simply tried to explain to Nono-san that me and Komatsu-kun were already seeing each other, and she attacked me," Melk II answered with a nervous tone.

"I beg to differ, I remember you being the one that had our talking escalate into violence," another calm voice answered, a slightly edge of coldness slipped through though.

"Nono..." Melk II said with narrowed eyes, forcing herself to sound respectful.

Nono was a young pale-skinned girl with mint green hair, blue eyes and two small blush marks under her cheeks, about the same height as Komatsu, she was wearing a pink apron with a red heart symbol on the chest, a pair of red pants and a pink bandana over her head.

"Melk-san," Nono answered with a nod, she too adding a respectful tone in her answer by force.

"The Chef ranked 5th in the IGO Ranking and the one that managed to re-create the 'Gourmet Show Window', "_Frozen Meal Lady_" Nono...your fight with Melk II was one of the funniest thing I had ever seen," Naruto said with a smirk.

"Funny?" Sasuke asked, curious.

"Consider this, Melk II was in an huge luscious forest hunting down the _Mineral Tree_, a legendary tree said to have a bark so hard that it can be used to sharpening knives, not five minutes later, in the same clearing she was walks in Nono-san hunting down ingredients...well, no-one knows what was the spark of the fight, but everyone can still see the results," the Blond answered smirking, highly amused at watching Komatsu and the Heavenly Kings try to stop the two women from fighting again.

"What was the result?" Sasuke asked.

"Imagine a forest more than twice the size of Konoha AND the forest around it put together...well, it took those two just one hour to turn that immense patch of green into a wasteland eternally covered in ice and with canyons so deep that people have no problems believe that those reach the Planet's Core," Naruto answered.

"Damn..." the Uchiha boy hissed in awe.

"Bwahahaha! Yeah, we are still trying to understand how to repair the damages, it was the same amount of destruction left behind by the _Four_ _Beast_, but to what do we owe your presence here, 'Shadow Chef'?" Mansam asked.

"I want to come out in the open, I decided to finally be a Chef now that the Bishokukai disappeared, I think enough time has passed for me to finally pursue my dream," Naruto answered.

"Your dream?"

"Open the greatest restaurant ever seen, a Temple to Food, not a fancy, sparkle-covered mass of shit, but a place where Food is what is really important, and I can't do that if even the IGO can't accept my presence," he answered.

"I see...you have been away from trouble and irrepressible as a citizen and chef, we were keeping tabs on you, you will be tested by both me and the "IGO Seven" before that and should we find your abilities as a Chef real, your Rank will be registered, you are lucky that three months will be barely enough," Mansam answered with narrowed eyes.

"Three months? For what?" Naruto asked.

"The reason why we called here the Top 30 personally while the other Chefs will be warned through our agents," the IGO President said, clearing his throat to catch everyone's attention.

"Listen up! In three months from now, every chef being in the Top 100 has to prepare both physically and mentally, we are re-starting the "Cooking Festival" after all these years of absence..." Mansam said, shocking everyone present.

"What is the Cooking Festival?" Sasuke asked, watching in amazement as every Chef swarmed Mansam with questions.

"The Cooking Festival is a quadrennial food festival established 200 years ago. Visitors from all over the world gather in Cooking Island to experience the finest ingredients that the world has to offer, prepared by the top 100 chefs of the world, the competition itself is held in the Cooking Stadium where the chefs are challenged to the limits of their cooking and physical abilities," Naruto answered.

"By their shock, this seems like something big..." Sasuke commented.

"Is the biggest event of this whole planet, Sasuke, about 1 billion people visit the opening ceremony alone, the live broadcasts itself of the festival has an average rating of 95%," He answered

"95%?!" the boy said with a disbelieving tone.

"Yes, but usually rating goes up to 99% (something like 29.6 billion viewers, mind you) during the "Deciding Battles," thanks to the event's popularity and the "Cooking Holiday" that accompanies them," Naruto said with a nod.

"99%...what the Hell does that 1% watch then?" the Uchiha boy asked curious.

"Porn, I guess, the festival is the largest gathering of chefs in the world, the last one was attacked and invaded by the Bishokukai in order to further their own goals and kidnap every chef present, since then and the War for GOD, the IGO decided to stop 'wasting ingredients' for the Festival since there was a great scarcity of food everywhere...apparently they managed to bring back things to normal so to once again start this event," Naruto answered.

"Exactly! We are finally back in the swing of things! The Saiseya managed to recreate the various ingredients that Midora destroyed with his **Meteor Spice** and NEO's subsequently attacks, I was informed just yesterday that the various Biotope are back to their former glory and that we can once again hold the Cooking Festival!" Mansam said with a wide smile, happy to soak in the cheering of the people present.

"This will mark the start of a new Gourmet Age, that's why they are doing this, to once again instill hope in people," Coco said with a tiny smile.

"Well, t'was about time, hn!" Sanni said with an annoyed expression.

"It means we'll have a lot of work to do to secure the final load of Ingredients, I can't wait!" Toriko said with a wide smile.

"Come with me, you four! we need to talk, Naruto, bring your Partner with you," Mansam said with a serious expression, guiding the group in a more isolated area.

"Let's go in the kitchen, we'll have more privacy there," Komatsu offered.

"I'll check that no bastard will try to spy on us," Zebra said, waiting outside the kitchen and glaring at whoever came too close, his advanced hearing making him hear what the IGO President said without problems.

**In the Kitchen - **

Looking around, Mansam could see that only he, The Four Kings, Komatsu, Melk II and her daughter, Rin and Naruto with Sasuke were the ones present, nodding to himself he gestured to the Kings to stay quiet and looked at Naruto with an expression so serious that the others could only be surprised by his abrupt change of demeanour.

"Okay, we are alone, what's happening?" he asked.

"Bad news Boss, the Bishokukai are moving again," Naruto answered with a sigh.

"WHAT!?" Toriko growled with wide eyes.

"Silence, Toriko! Continue," Mansam said with a stern look, motioning to the blond to go on.

"Yesterday Midora called a meeting with the few remaining members of the Bishokukai, me and Starjun comprised, apparently they found a way to take GOD before the time," Naruto answered, looking the others go wide eyed in horror.

"They...they already have it?" the IGO President asked with a trembling voice.

"Not yet, they managed to have one of my contacts betray me, that old Nitro said that they are aware of the time the Colossal Beetle needs to come out of the egg and complete its life-circle, Midora is planning to steal the egg and keep it somewhere safe for it to hatch under the Bishokukai control, in five years the egg will be mature enough for the Nitro to move it in an area only their High Hierarchy knows about, my contact Kappai said that there are probably several dozen of possible locations and that the Blue Nitro Leaders will probably choose at the last moment where to move the thing," Naruto answered.

"He is ready to wait other five hundred years to eat it?" Coco asked in surprise.

"You all saw him, his appetite is pretty vast," the blond answered.

"This is bad, I thought that after what happened last time he would have renounced, but this brings everything back to the start...what about NEO? Are they returning too?" Mansam asked in worry.

"I specifically kept an eye on things and my ears wide open, as for now there are not traces of their return, but I will keep everything under control, Boss," Naruto answered, shaking his head in the negative.

"Are you a spy or somethin'? By the way you talk it seems so," Sanni asked.

"You are talking with Naruto Namikaze the 'Gourmet Spy', a Staff Member of the **0th Biotope** and our spy in Midora's ranks, he was the one that helped us developing the **Riddle Chapter**...you seriously thought that someone just managed to sneak up on me to deliver those Gourmet ID cards?" Mansam asked.

"It was you?" Toriko asked in surprise.

"It took me a while to collect all those info and have someone deliver the cards to the IGO President, I hope they were useful," Naruto answered with a nod.

"Yes...they helped us a lot," Komatsu said in discomfort.

"I still want to date your daughter, Komatsu-san, that was not a ruse, just to be clear. I am coming out for that too, if people see me "renounce" so openly to every past affiliation with the Bishokukai I'll be able to convince Midora that I will be more free to move so to spy on the IGO," the blond answered, making Melk III smile widely at him.

"So Midora asked you to spy on us once again? this means that we will be forced to feed them some infos to keep you inside their group...what a drag," Mansam said with a sigh.

"Not so different from what we did before, Boss! We just failed at predicting NEO's appearance in the battle, I will personally pay more attention from now on, but I really want to open that restaurant," Naruto answered.

"FINE! We'll have a Test with the IGO Seven "Taste Masters" just to show that you are not working for us since only me and the old President Ichiryu knew of your existence, and we will also confirm once and for all your Rank in the Chef Ranking, just continue being a spy and all will be okay," Mansam said with a defeated tone.

"Will he really be able to do both?" Zebra asked.

"I managed to do that before so why not? As I said, being so out in public will make people dismiss my being a spy," Naruto answered.

"Okay then, we have five years to discover where the Colossal Beetle Egg is so to protect GOD from both Bishokukai and Nitro, we need to find it and bring it in an hidden area for the IGO to protect it, both Naruto and us will keep an eye on things, you are all dismissed, we have a party and then a Festival to organize." Mansam said with a now more calm expression.

"Me and Sasuke will help in finding ingredients, it will help his Gourmet Cells to 'wake up' and get stronger," Naruto said with a nod.

"I will also teach few techniques of my village to Naruto, I want my partner to clean the floor with every Chef that will take part to the Festival," Sasuke said with a smug smile.

"I HATE COCKY PEOPLE!" Zebra roared from outside, barging in the kitchen with a ferocious growl.

"Calm down, he was joking!" Toriko and Mansam answered.

"Tche! I knew that! I was just joking myself, but you people never let me have some fun..." the King answered with a sneer

"Why not, few tricks under my sleeve doesn't sound bad, I only have the **Rasengan** from by father after all," the blond answered, both leaving the kitchen and ignoring the others struggling to stop Zebra from fighting Toriko.

"How? You said that your father, that you failed to mention was the FUCKING YONDAIME!, was dead after the sealing..." Sasuke asked with a low growl.

"He was famous for you, to me he was just my father, by the way, during my training with the Gourmet Cells the Kyuubi tried to break free since I was near-death in that moment and the seal holding him was at its weakest...my Cells didn't like that and retaliated," Naruto answered with a devious smirk.

"Your cells..."Ate" the Kyuubi?" Sasuke asked with wide eyes.

"Precisely, and since it was sealed inside me, he acted like a _compatible_ ingredient, making my Gourmet Cells evolve a lot from the consuming, when that happened, a fail-safe in the seal activated presenting me a copy of both my father and my mother," he answered.

"Whoa!"

"Yep! And since there was no more a Kyuubi for them to help me contain AND learn to control, they spent the short time at their disposal to give me some pointers as a shinobi, or better, my mother did, my father just taught me the **Rasengan** and told me to complete it," Naruto answered, showing to the boy the spiralling sphere of Chakra in his hands.

"So I have nothing to teach you?" the boy asked in sadness.

"Don't feel bad, I know this and the **shadow clone jutsu**, you can teach me something else," Naruto said, patting the boy's head with a smirk, chuckling as the other shoved away his hand with an offended glare.

"I am a gennin, other than few Fire Jutsus there is not a lot that I know...is how to walk on trees and water good enough for you?" he asked.

"You don't need to pay me for helping you, but those two techniques sounds funny, why not? May give me an help in hunting ingredients not having to rely on a boat to fish," Naruto said.

"Good, I know how to do a Storage Scroll, that will keep ingredients in stasis and fresh for a pretty long time," Sasuke said.

"Oh-hoo! I like that! See? You are not a waste of space after all!" the blond said happily.

"Yeah, I am...WAIT! You thought I was a waste of space?!" Sasuke asked with a growl.

"Well...I still didn't know you well enough so..." the other answered with a mischievous smile, running away from the fuming boy.

"COME BACK HERE!" Sasuke yelled, chasing the blond with a murderous light in his eyes.

Sure, Naruto already knew how to walk on water and on trees as they had been fundamental to gain enough chakra control to learn the **Rasengan**, but he was ready to fake a bit of incompetence to make his young Partner happy.

**Two months later – "World Kitchen" - docks -**

Naruto and Sasuke were waiting for an huge ship to be ready, an annoyed sigh escaping the Uchiha boy as the various sailors kept loading boxes by the dozen.

"Still hungry?" Naruto asked with a chuckle.

"My stomach can stay filled no matter what I eat, the strange thing is that I am not gaining weight," Sasuke answered, his stomach grumbling once again.

"It just means that your Gourmet Cells are waking up, after years of forced sleep due to the poor ingredients your village had they are now able to enjoy as much food as they want, it will pass soon don't worry," the blond answered.

"How did you find a ship this big for our ingredients?" the boy asked.

"I know a guy, the owner of the 'Valentine Shipments and Transport', the World's third greatest shipment company with an annual income between the thirty and the forty billions, in a small parenthesis of my life I was a teacher in Sumire-chan's cuisine schools and the man's daughter was my student," Naruto answered.

"Sumire? The 11th on the Chef Ranking?" Sasuke asked.

"Exactly her, it was her mother to teach me how to be a proper Chef, years later I saw Sumire-chan and her schools so I decided to repay her family by helping, I kept being a teacher there under fake identity for several years and sometimes still help as a Tutor, it was one of the few things both Midora and the IGO don't know about, for all the people concerned I am an hermit that act as spy or Bishokukai while _Menma Uzumaki_ is just a teacher in a cuisine school," the blond answered with a smirk.

"So you could ask for this immense ship just because you know the company owner's daughter?" Sasuke asked in disbelief.

"It helps that Fate-chan is a bit spoiled and adores me as her 'Oniichan', she discovered my true identity by chance and decided to blackmail me with it for extra lessons, after a while that blackmailing became sisterly affection and I can't shake her off any more," the other answered.

As on cue, a very, very long limo arrived in the docks, parking near the two, a shadow inside jumping on the seat eager to come out.

"And here it is the Heiress of the Valentine empire, her ability of keeping tabs on me never cease to amaze me," Naruto said with a chuckle, the limo was almost teared in half as a girl in a chef attire dashed towards the blond, diving in his arms with a squealing cry of "ONIICHAAN!".

She was a tall girl with absurdly-long black hair reaching her knees and tied in a ponytail by an huge pink ribbon.

"Are you spying on me, Fate?" Naruto asked.

"I just want to help my Oniichan in his hunting for ingredients! What's wrong in that?" the girl asked with a childish whine and a pout, an heavy accent in her voice.

"How old are you? Twelve? Don't act like a little girl," Sasuke asked with a sneer.

"I am fifteen, dumbass!" Fate answered with a growl, leaning down to look in the boy's eyes.

"Fifteen? But...you are what? six feet tall? How can you be as old as me!" the boy asked surprised.

"She had an early grow spurt...my fault actually, I brought her a dessert from the Gourmet World and didn't expect it to kick-start her body growth...you have no idea how many boys failed in their lessons because they preferred to stare at her instead of cooking," Naruto answered with a sigh of dismay.

"Who is the idiot? Why are you wasting time with him?" Fate asked, looking at Sasuke with narrowed eyes.

"He is my partner, Fate, we are in a Combo"

"WHAT?! You can't be in his Combo! You are a weakling! You will spoil his hunts!" the girl shrieked in rage, grabbing the Uchiha boy's collar to shake him.

"HOW DARE YOU! I am a trained Shinobi and went face-to-face with Death in more than one occasion! You are just a spoiled bitch that surely thinks that daddy's money will get her everything she wishes! I AM more than qualified to be in a Combo, you are just a student so don't you dare act so high and mighty!" Sasuke roared with his eyes turning in the red of the Sharingan state.

"ENOUGH, YOU TWO!" Naruto said with a barking scream, making Fate immediately drop the boy and look at him with a sorry expression.

"Sorry, oniichan" she said with a whisper.

"Yeah, sorry, shouldn't have gotten angry," Sasuke said with a sigh.

"Why are you here, Fate?" Naruto asked with a groan.

"Oh! I have finished the upgrading of your GT-Robo, oniichan! New Titanium armor, experimental wide-range radar that doubles as sonar, stun weapons and new artificial muscles, now the GT-Robo can crush a train in two with a flick of its wrist!" the girl said with a proud smile.

"The main cannon?" he asked.

"I asked for the best! It can now be used in a wide area attack or with short waves of bullets, I bought a top-secret military orbital cannon and had the main weapon adapted to the Robo, am I or not a good oneechan?" Fate answered with an hopeful tone.

"AN ORBITAL CANNON!? How much did that cost?!" Sasuke asked with wide eyes.

"Only few hundreds of millions, but it's nothing much, I want only the best for my Naruto-niichan! I will help him become the greatest Chef of the world, and I will be at his side as his Partner!" Fate answered with a smug smile, pointing at a blood-red furred machine that resembled a Nitro but with a metallic 'beck' on its face that was being took out from the limo.

"She is basically my 'wallet', is thanks to her if I have enough fundings for my hunts and researches, but I love her just because I find her adorable as a little sister," Naruto said, hugging the girl that nuzzled her cheek on his chest with an happy smile.

"Can I come with you, oniichan? I brought my own GT-Robo, I want to help you!" she asked with her best 'kicked dog' expression.

"It will be dangerous, we are collecting the remaining ingredients for the Cooking Festival," Naruto answered.

"If the idiot comes then I'll come too, I won't let him spoil your Combo," she said with narrowed eyes.

"I won't spoil our Combo, you annoying brat! If ever, YOU will be the one to bring troubles!" Sasuke countered, glaring at her.

"Just shut up, you two! Both board that ship and take control of the GT-Robo, Sasuke will use mine, this will be the first time you control one in a real hunting situation, remember the training and stay close to me, my GT-Robo has a bit more sensible set of controls, but otherwise it acts like the training one we used up until now, ask Fate to help you if you don't remember something," Naruto said.

"Tch! He will destroy the machine, Oniichan! I can see that he is unable to do even the simplest things!" Fate commented with a whine.

"I'll show you then!" the boy answered with a growl.

"_Sigh!_ I can't reign both...I am too old for this shit!" Naruto muttered with a sigh.

**Few hours later – Boat – Ocean - **

As the boat was moving through the water, the temperature grew gradually colder until the breath fo the people present became visible, exception made for Naruto that seemed at ease even in that frozen habitat.

"There is even a lot of icebergs here, where are we going exactly?" Sasuke asked, still shivering a little in the cold no matter the **Lighter Suit** he was wearing.

"We are near the area where once stood the Ice Hell before the _Four Beast_ decided to destroy it instead of simply swim around it, we are here to hunting down some fish beasts for the Festival, we are equipped with heavy cannons just in case one or more ingredients try to surprise us, Sasuke will come with me in the GT-Robo, like that I'll show him how to hunt underwater," Naruto answered.

"I'll come too, niichan!" Fate said.

"It will be dangerous, if you both come then in case of attacks you two would be defenseless since you'll be piloting the suits," the blond said with narrowed eyes.

"Let her come, otherwise we will never hear the end of it," Sasuke said with a sigh.

"HOY! What are saying, weakling?" the girl asked with a glare.

"Stop it, you two!...FINE! Take out your GT-Robo, but so help me, if something happen I'll make both pay for it!" Naruto said, freezing the two solid with a glare.

"Hai!" the two answered.

"The area for piloting the GT underwater is ready, Fate-sama!" one of the workers said, pointing at two seats that had been moved on the deck.

"Normally a GT-Robo follows every movement of the pilot, since re-creating underwater conditions require a lot of space, in this case we'll use remote controls and a seat, those will be heated so you two won't freeze by staying immobile," the Captain of the ship explained.

"Good, wear those two and follow me, Sasuke? Do you remember the breathing exercise for the cold environments?" Naruto said.

"Yes...like this?" the boy asked with a strained voice, trying to remember how to breath in the cold without showing "white breath" and managing with some difficulty.

"Almost there, after the Festival I'll take you to Vegetable Sky as Toriko suggested, there we'll train you in that," the blond answered with a nod.

"**I am ready, Oniichan!**" Fate said from the GT-Robo, hers was more humanoid in form, black with pink details and with a blank mask for face showing only two large eyes shining in a pink light, a copy of her hairstyle made out of cables was on the back of the head.

"Good, let's go, we have a lot to do," Naruto said, taking away his clothes and remaining in a pair of red bathing trunks and a breathing mask on his face.

"**Are you not...cold?**" Sasuke asked uncertain, the mechanic voice of the GT-Robo not hiding the curious tone of his voice.

"I consider this training, I never caught a cold in my life, I am sure my Gourmet Cells will find a way to stop the heat of my body from leaving, now jump!" the blond answered , diving from the dock of the ship and in the water.

"**WAIT FOR MEEEEE!**" Fate said, jumping down behind him.

"**Oh, for the love of...I am coming!**" Sasuke said with a growl, following the two down.

**Deep underwater – few minutes later - **

"_See? Like this you can use __**Knocking**__ to make the beasts go to sleep, then once on the boat they will be kept safe until the delivery to the Festival,_" Naruto said from the radio on his breathing mask.

"**This thing is a pretty big eel...**" Sasuke said with an uncertain tone, looking at the several-meters-long _Glacier Moray _that was floating upside-down in front of him.

"**It's meat is very tasty and very appreciated in cold places for its nutritional value, ****100 grams of its meat can fetch a price of at least 3,500 yen at the moment, luckily the ship has enough storage to keep up to six of them,**" Fate answered

"_Good answer, Fate, as she said an expert in fish dishes can use this beast for a lot of recipes, we'll catch other four so to have enough for the Festival,"_ Naruto said, making the girl giggle and give Sasuke a victory sign in evident smugness.

"**Tch! Know-it-all...**" Sasuke muttered.

"_Okay, now it's your turn, try the stun gun on that group of fishes,_" Anruto asked.

"**Hai!**" The Uchiha boy said, slowly nearing the small puffy fishes with unseen narrowed eyes.

"**STUN SHOT!**" he yelled, the right hand of the GT-Robo opening to launch a salvo of needles towards the fishes, making half a dozen flop on their belly and float defenseless.

"_Not bad, several _'Frosty Salmons' _with a Capture Level of 6_ _to add to the stock, good job!_" Naruto said, giving to his Partner a thumbs up.

"**Look at me, NIICHAN! I caught those!**" Fate said, showing a net filled with golden shrimps.

"_UUUH! _Gold Shrimps!_ Good catch!_" the blond said happily.

"**See? I am better than you!**" the girl said.

"**Hn! You were just lucky!**" Sasuke answered, crossing his arms in annoyance.

"_ATTENTION! We are under attack! Some _Great Leg Sharks _managed to sneak on board!_" The Captain of the ship said in the radio of the three.

"_Shit! And there are other Glacier Moray coming as well, SASUKE! Keep Fate and the ship crew safe no matter what, I'll deal with those bastards and join you as soon as I can!"_ Naruto ordered, watching as other five giant eels surrounded the three of them.

"**Okay!**" Both Sasuke and Fate answered, hurrying to the surface so to help the crew against whatever was attacking them.

"_Now...are you five ready to be cooked?_" the blond asked to the beasts, his appetite devil appearing to grab a Glacier Moray in each hand with an hungry expression.

**Back on the ship - **

"FIRE! FIRE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE!" the Captain ordered as he and the others were shooting from automatic riffles against what looked like a great white shark with legs in place of fins.

"**Peeler Punch!**" Sasuke yelled, punching one of them with a drill-encased fist of the GT-Robo.

"**Over there!" **Fate said as a new wave of _Great Leg_ sharks climbed the side of the ship.

"**Now I have seen everything! Those are sharks! They shouldn't have legs!**" Sasuke yelled, grabbing the rear fin of one beast to launch it against the others.

"**Welcome to the real world then!**" the girl answered, unseen by her a group of beast was sneaking towards her real body.

"**SHIT!**" Sasuke cursed, as a pair of Great Leg latched to the Robo's arms he discarded the controls and jumped off the seat.

"**Katon: ****Gokakyuu no jutsu (Great Fireball technique)**" he yelled spitting an huge fireball towards the charging beasts, launching them back with the resulting explosion.

"**WHAT!?**" Fate said, turning to watch as the boy stood in front of her real body in a defensive stance.

"I can fight without a Robo, you use that to help the crew, I'll protect your body from those things, Naruto will never forgive me if something happens to you, and I won't forgive myself either, so focus!" the boy answered with a determined expression, a kunai on his hand and his eyes in the **Sharingan **form.

"**O-okay...**" she muttered with a nod.

"_GRAAAAH!_" the shark-like beasts roared as they tried again to attack the girl's body.

"Oh, no! You are not eating this! I won't have Naruto skin me alive for his supper just because you wanted an easy snack! **Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu! (Fire Release: phoenix sage fire technique!)**" Sasuke said spitting out several fireballs and guiding them against the various targets, making the beasts growl in both rage and pain.

As one of the Great Leg sprinted forward with its maw wide open, the Uchiha boy used the prediction-like ability of his bloodline to intercept the bite by switching with a near crate, using the opening of the creature turning the object to splinters to plunge his kunai deep in one of its eyes, making it let out a long shriek of pain.

"JUST DIE ALREADY! **Katon: endan!**" the boy said, spitting out a stream of fire directly inside the open mouth of the animal, as the Great Leg gurgled out a last whimper before collapsing, other two tried to jump on him.

"**Don't touch him!**" Fate yelled, grabbing both sharks and slamming their heads together before launching the two away.

"Thanks," Sasuke said.

"**I-I-I just repaid you for the help! N-n-nothing more and nothing less!**" the girl answered with a nervous voice.

"Thank you all the same, I owe you," the other said with a shrug.

"**Yeah, I lov-I mean OWE you too, we are fair now," **she answered, charging another pair of sharks that were trying to eat a couple of sailors.

"Why I have a bad feeling about this?" Sasuke muttered in confusion.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING HERE!?" Naruto yelled with a murderous glare, the grey flames of his **intimidation **burning around his body like a raging inferno, paralyzing the various Great Leg in place.

"Get the fuck out of my ship, **NOW!**" the blond yelled with the Appetite Devil behind him narrowing its eyes in anger.

As one, the various shark-like beasts hurried to abandon the ship while the more weakened by the fights fainted on the dock, the strain of the fight against the crew too much for them to withstand the new 'attack' of the Chef.

"Hn! **Intimidation Knocking**, I am still good at it," Naruto said with a smirk, chuckling at the various degree of fear on the crew.

"You are amazing, Niichan! You scared them to death!" Fate said with awe-filled eyes, bolting from the controlling seat to hug the blond.

"What took you so long?" Sasuke asked with a sigh.

"I was having fun with some friends, do we have enough space for them?" Naruto asked, pointing at the floating bodies of four Glacier Moray and at the various unconscious Great Leg on the dock.

"We'll make them fit, Naruto-sama, no problem!" the Captain said rapidly, the various sailors behind him nodding frantically.

"I guess you scared them too," Sasuke said with a chuckle.

"T-Thank you for saving me," Fate said, hugging the Uchiha boy a bit hesitantly.

"No problem," the other answered, patting her back awkwardly.

"Hands where I can see them, Sasuke," Naruto hissed with narrowed eyes.

"I knew it," the boy muttered with a sigh, noticing the hug to last longer than what it should.

"Do you plan on letting him go any time soon, Fate?" the blond chef asked, tapping his feet in annoyance.

"Oh? OH-OH-OH! Of course! I was...I was caught up in the moment, I swear!" the girl said, jumping away from the boy with an atomic blush on her face.

"Sucks to be you, Sasuke, if it's what I think it is...you are in deep trouble," Naruto muttered, shaking his head in sadness.

"What do you mean?" the boy asked, swallowing in a little nervousness.

"You'll see when the right time comes, Captain!" the blond called out.

"Y-Yes?" the man asked, standing to attention.

"We have done here! Let's move to the next area to finish our collecting!" the Chef ordered.

"HAI! Have you heard Naruto-sama? MOVE YOUR ASSESS!" the Captain ordered.

"HAI!" the crew answered, hurrying up to their respective positions on board.

"Help me taking those inside, Sasuke!" Fate asked.

"Uh? Okay..." the boy muttered, a little unnerved at how the girl was starting to smile a lot when near him.

"I see problems in your future, Sasuke, and I don't envy you," Naruto said with a sigh, watching the girl moving a little closer to the boy at each step.

"No one should be forced to be the target of a Yandere...no matter what sins they have on their shoulders, and you are even too much "innocent" to be victim of that, but until you keep your hands away from 'prohibited places' and do not get distracted in our hunts for ingredients I am fine with it, after all, better you than me," Naruto said, chuckling as the girl finally took her decision and pounced on Sasuke.

Giving a new sigh he moved towards the two to separate victim from attacker before Fate could touch any inappropriate place on the boy's body, ignoring the shrieking calls for help of the Uchiha.

**Day of the Cooking Festival – Cooking Stadium - **

The Stadium was a structure shaped liked a cooking pot so big that it was easily accommodating entire buildings including several 10-Stars hotels.

"This place is immense!" Sasuke said with wide eyes, he was sitting near the Four Heavenly Kings under request of Naruto, like that the boy would be safe from eventual attacks.

And at the same time keep him safe from Fate's new found 'interest' in him that had been the cause of several sleepless nights for the Uchiha boy, unfortunately, Naruto's "brotherly affection" for the girl stopped the young shinobi from retaliating since should she be heart-broken by Sasuke, the boy had no doubts the other member of his Combo would be pissed.

And Naruto had in more than one occasion remembered to Sasuke that he knew several recipes he was curious to try with human meat instead of pork should the Uchiha act as a jerk and make the blond's "little sister" sad by refuting her advances (most of the times bordering on the sexual harassment) in a brute way.

"It's big enough to fit a total of 100 million people with an area of 35 square kilometers, people had been in wait outside to buy a ticket for the three months it took to organize everything since the revealing of this edition," Coco answered.

"REALLY?!" Sasuke yelled with wide eyes.

"The IGO feared that having such a short time before the start would have mean a more difficult time for selling the tickets, instead the various societies that were printing the tickets had an hard time keeping on with the requests of the wealthiest clients," Toriko said.

"The population of the whole Elemental Countries would fit in here!" the Uchiha boy said in shock.

"It's always a shock seeing how "little" our conception of the world is for the first time, real Beauty is accepting this reality and growing stronger from that!" Sanni said with blazing eyes.

"Ignore him, otherwise he will never stop trying to convert you to his Quest for Beauty," Toriko said with a grin.

"Toriko! I am trying to teach to this young man what true beauty is!" the King said with a glare.

"Was this really better than sitting near Fate?" Sasuke muttered.

"WHERE ARE YOU SASUKE-KUN? YOU CAN'T ESCAPE YOUR _FATE_!" a known voice yelled, clearly heard over the deafening chaos of the whole Stadium.

"Never mind," the boy said with a whimper, burying himself in his seat in the hope of not being seen.

While this was happening, from a side entrance a tanned-skinned man of average height with small round eyes and a thin and defined nose entered.

He had prominent cheekbones and even more prominent grin, light-colored hair combed upward in an angular shape just like his eyebrows, His attire consisted of a simple white suit with a white tie.

Nearing the microphone to his mouth he gave a loud cheer that the crowd in the Stadium soon followed.

"GOOOOD MORNING, Cooking Stadium! I am Munageh and once again I will be the commentator of this memorable Cooking Festival!" the man yelled, basking in the adoring screams of the people there.

"Before the start we'll see the newly updated IGO Chef Ranking!" Munageh said with a new scream.

Behind him, the huge screen started showing a list of names moving from the 100th position upwards, stopping at the Top 20.

**- IGO Chef Ranking – Top 20 -**

**1st** - "_Gourmet Living Legend_" Setsuno

**2nd** - "_Bizarre Cooking_" Tengu Brunch

**3rd** - "_Curry King_" Damala Sky XIII

**4th** - "_Medicinal Cooking Authority_" Yuda

**5th** - "_Frozen Meal Lady_" Nono

**6th** - "_Original Cuisine_" CM Goron

**7th** - "_Genius Bread Artisan_" Pippi

**8th** - "_Hotel Gourmet's_" Komatsu

**9th** - "_Shadow Chef_" Naruto Namikaze

**10th** - "_Ramen Master_" Kurakage

**11th -**"_Nakaume Gourmet School Lunch Lady Chef_" Sumire

**12th - ...**

"As you can see we have a new entry! the infamous "_Shadow Chef_" has finally decided to show his face and he is now occupying the ninth position in the ranking; he is the man that taught to '_Ramen Master_' Kurakage how to appreciate that delicacy in broth, NARUTO NAMIKAZE!" Munageh said, the screen showing a picture of Naruto in a blood red Chef uniform and a black bandanna smirking at the camera, several female screams erupting around the Stadium showing the appreciation of the female audience at the blond's appearances.

"I see some of you appreciate his looks, but what about his Full Course Menu? Let's have a look, please!" the man said, pointing at the screen that then over-lapped the blond's menu to his picture.

**Naruto - Full Course Menu -**

_Hors D'Ouvre_: Earthquake Three-Tailed Lizard grilled tails (Capture Level 2298)

_Soup__:_ Royal Land Shark's Fin Soup (Capture Level _Unknown)_

_Fish__Dish_: Man-eating Transparent Shark Sashimi boat ( Capture Level 2120)

_Meat Dish_: Fury-Horse Grand Steak (Capture Level 3503)

_Main__Course__:_ Island-Sized Miso Ramen Delight (Capture Level _immeasurable)_

_Salad__:_ Upside-down Mountain's grass-field salad (Capture Level 2579)

_Dessert__:_ King-Chocolate-Tiger flambé crepes (Capture Level 3129)

_Drink__:_ Endless-drunkenness Oasis' White Wine (Capture Level _Unknown)_

"All High-level and high-class ingredients, all of them have in common a flavor delicate and yet almost addicting, exception made for the _Main Dish_ that is the only one to have a taste that is immediately intense and overwhelming, a nice combination of dishes that's for sure," Coco commented.

"Eh! That portion of Ramen is still too small for me!" Zebra said with a smirk.

"That dish has enough broth to fill a lake!" Sasuke said in anger.

"Yep! Still too small for someone like me," the Heavenly King answered with a shrug.

**Cooking Festival - First Event – Rice Beach - **

The hundred Chefs were all waiting on the starting line for the signal for the first event to start, the sea in front of them calm without even the smallest wave moving its waters.

"Naruto! I am happy to see you finally coming out in the open," Sumire said with a gentle smile.

"Yep, it was time to stop hiding, sorry if I made you drop down," Naruto said with a sad expression.

"You know that I don't care about those things, I only care about cooking, nothing else matters," the woman answered with a chuckle.

"Thank you," the blond said with a small smile.

"OKAY! The First Event of the Cooking Festival will be the "Triathlon Cooking" the always favorite of our Audience!" Munageh's voice said from the speakers on the starting line.

"The rules are simple: The chefs will need to swim to and from Takoyaki Island, which is 750 meters off the coast, to get their ingredients, bring them back by riding a bicycle, and then run to obtain cooking supplies. However, the faster the chef is in the swimming and getting to the Takoyaki Island, the better the ingredients they can get. For the bicycle part, there is easy course, but it's longer distance, while the shortcut course is more dangerous and full of wild beast. Also, if the chefs don't reach the Cooking Utensils table in specified time to get their trusted utensils, the Cooking Utensils Station will close, and the chefs will have to use normal ones for the duration of the Festival!" The commentator said.

"But! There is a difference this year! Instead of choosing ingredients once arrived, the various chefs will find a reproduction of the Bubble Fruit courtesy of Chin Chinchin of Shokurin Temple, those Fake Fruits are really delicate, even a fierce stare will make them burst so a Top-Class Food Etiquette will be required to handle them! once there, every Chef will be free to grab up to ten fake fruits, should one manage to take at least one fruit to the Cooking Utensils Table, he or she will gain access to the next Event, and in case one has Ten fruits still whole, in the next event he or she will have the possibility to choose between EVERY ingredients that had been prepared for this Festival instead of a random selection!" Munageh said.

"So being fast won't be a factor, it will all depend on how many fruits one has so to have a greater variety of ingredients to choose from should they reach the second event," Naruto said.

"Yes, this time they are focusing on the Chefs' abilities more than speed, if there is not ability behind the utensils, being the fastest won't help making a good dish," an old lady with pink hair said with a small laugh.

"At least other chefs will have some hope against you, Setsuno-san, otherwise you will take all the best ingredients and leave us in the dust," Naruto said with a smirk.

"I may look old, youngster, but I am not about to renounce my career as a Chef as Zaus did, I'll die like Frohze-sama died, with a kitchen knife in my hands while in front of a chopping board," Setsuno replied.

"Then I'll give you a run for your money, baa-chan!" the blond said.

"Tch! I hate that nickname," she answered with a pout.

"Only 50 chefs will advance to the second event, which means that they will probably be decided by the number of fruits they will present at the end of the Triathlon to the G7," Nono said with a calm expression.

"At least this time I know how to swim," Komatsu said with a sigh.

"I'll be with you along the road, Chef Komatsu," Nono said with a little smile.

**Back in the Stadium - **

"GRRRRRR!" a certain Knife sharpener was quietly growling as the '_Frozen Meal Lady_' stood close to her husband.

"A lady should not act like that, mom," Melk III said with a smirk.

"Kopuriko seems to enjoy being near your boyfriend," the girl's mother answered as the image switched to Naruto talking with the entrails-wearing woman.

"GRRRRR!" it was now the young girl's turn to growl with narrowed eyes, making her mother snort with a vindictive smile.

**Back on Rice Beach - **

"Every Chef ready?" the commentator asked.

"Then...GO!" the man called as with a cannon-like sound the competition began.

"At least you are awake this time, Brunch!" Naruto said with a smirk.

"Aye-aye! Komatsu was the one to barge inside my room to wake me," the red-skinned man said with an annoyed tone.

"MAKE ROOM!" Wabutora, Chef master of oil, yelled as he sprinted in front of the two, coating his feet in oil so to easily run on the surface of the water.

"I guess we'll have to go faster?" the blond Chef said with a sigh.

"Yeah, I don' wanna those idiots to think they are better than me," Brunch said, annoyed.

"Well, I'll go then, JA NE! **Atomic Wedgie no Jutsu!**" Naruto said with a loud laugh, grabbing the back of Brunch's boxers and pulling them up and above the man's eyes.

"AAAAAAAAAARGH! Damn you, ya bastard!" Brunch shrieked as he fell in the water.

"See ya, Tengu-chan!" Naruto said sprinting forward.

"I see that you too can run on water then," Setsuno said with an amused chuckle.

"Not exactly, you change foot whenever one is about to sink, I just focus energy on my soles so to not sink," the blond answered.

"Uh? Nice trick that," the old lady answered, both not even noticing they were leaving the others behind by running at ludicrous speed.

"COME HERE BASTARD! I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THAT!" Brunch screamed in rage, leaving behind a tall tail of water in his mad run behind him.

"What have you done to him?" Setsuno asked curious.

"Just a little wedgie," Naruto answered.

"Seriously, Naru-chan! Aren't you too old for that?" the old lady said, shaking her head.

"Naah! I won't start acting my age if you don't do that yourself," the boy said with a smirk.

"...WHAT DO YOU MEAN WITH THAT!?" Setsuno roared.

"HAHAHAHA! Catch me, Obaa-chan! Catch me!" the blond said, gaining speed.

**With Komatsu - **

"Come on, Komatsu-kun, I know you can do this!" Nono muttered as she ran to catch-up with her sensei, leaving behind a long trail of ice as she ran on the water, looking as the Gourmet Restaurant Chef was slowly swimming towards the small island.

**Rice Beach – Bubble Fruits table - **

"Hohohoho! It seems like someone managed to reach here, after all!" a short man with glasses said with an amused laugh, waving at Naruto as he arrived.

"Heya, Chin-chan! Give me ten of those please!" Naruto said, opening a long scroll in front of himself.

"_Uh? What is that? Chef Namikaze has just opened a scroll and positioned ten fruits o it!_" Munageh said.

"This is a **Storage Scroll**, it can hold inside everything and protect it from every kind of danger as long as the seal array is whole, like this I will be able to keep the Fruits whole no matter what shock I give to the scroll," Naruto answered with a smirk.

"Isn't it against the rules?" Chinchin asked.

"Nope! It was recognized by the IGO as proper Storage Unit, those are not very diffused because difficult to make without the proper training, **Fujin!"** the blond said, moving his hands in an had-seal and making the ten fruits disappear inside the scroll, pocketing the thing he reached for a bike.

"You cheating bastard!" Brunch growled with narrowed eyes, he and Setsuno taking Ten fruits each and closing them in transparent cases they then strapped on their backs.

"Cheating? Me? This is not cheating...THIS is cheating, **Ninpou: Sennen Goroshi!** **(secret Ninja Technique: One thousand years of pain)**" Naruto answered, summoning a Shadow Clone and delivering a powerful poke in Brunch's ass, shooting him forward with a loud scream.

"Ah! Dad was right! It's just too funny doing that!" the blond said, hurrying forward to escape the raging red-skinned Chef that was yelling death threats while chasing him.

**Few minutes later – Bike section of the first event - **

The blond was pushing the bike to its limits, trying to catch up with Setsuno and Yuda that had managed to surpass him, behind Naruto, Tengu Brunch was still gnarling his teeth and promising pain in revenge for the _kancho_ he had been subjected to.

Far and Far behind, Komatsu was being helped by Nono, both using the ice created by the girl to be between the first twenty-five participants to the race.

"Uhm! Better help her, I want her to have an occasion this time, **Kage Bushin no Jutsu!**" moving his fingers in a cross position, the blond summoned two copies of himself, the clones immediately fell behind in search of their objective.

"_Here it is! Chef Namikaze's Cloning Technique! G7 reported it being the secret of his speed cooking, by cloning himself up to thousands of times he can cover the work of a whole staff by himself! I wonder what those clones had been created for!_" Munageh said.

"Need an hand, Kopuriko-chan?" one of the Clones asked with a smile, both running at the young woman's sides.

"Only this time, then I'll show everyone what I can do by cooking," she answered.

"As you wish dear, hold thigh!" the other Shadow Clone said with a nod, both grabbing her bike to push her forward.

**With Sasuke and the Heavenly Kings - **

"Won't the judges disqualify her?" the boy asked.

"Not exactly, they never argued when Brunch dragged Komatsu towards the finish line years ago, so I don't think they will do that now," Toriko answered.

"I see," Sasuke said with a nod.

**Back to the first event – **_**Tofu Plain - **_

"Yuck! It really feels like frozen Tofu," Naruto muttered as giant boars with a bone carapace roared at him.

"Hn! _Warrior Boars!_ Nothing better?" the blond said, jumping high in the sky and summoning an army of clones.

"**Ninpou! Choo-odama Rasentarengan!**" the clones said, each with an huge spiraling sphere of chakra in their hands easily bigger than their whole body, raining on the beasts the clones and the jutsu detonated in a blinding light, completely destroying the surrounding area.

"I'll take them too if you don't mind, more ingredients for later," the Blond Chef said, sealing the various boars in a second scroll.

Few meters later he reached the stopping point where he discarded the bike to continue on foot, Yuda and Setsuno few seconds behind him, making the three of them leave the small construction head-to-head as they sprinted like mad towards the goal with Brunch immediately behind and soon in a four-way tie run.

"Three shitty old men and an old hag, let me pass, you are history!" Tengu said with a smirk.

"HOY! I may be old, but at least I don't show it like those three here!" Naruto answered.

"I am not even a millimeter old, thank you!" Yuda said with narrowed eyes.

"And I am not an hag, you brat!" Setsuno said.

"Do you want me to give you a repeat with the **Sennen Goroshi? (one thousand years of pain)**" Naruto said with a sneer.

"Just try it, bastard!" Brunch answered with a growl.

Not even stopping in their arguing, the four Chefs reached the table with their cooking equipment before dashing towards the finishing line.

"I will win this if you don't mind!" the red-skinned chef said with a superior smirk.

"AS IF!" the other three yelled as one.

"HERE THEY ARE! Namikaze, Brunch, Yuda and Setsuno, the four of them are about to complete this event with a four-way tie for the first place!" Munageh said, his voice barely audible over the roaring of the crowd.

"**Frozen Road!**" Nono said as a long road of ice cut through the four runners, both she and Komatsu skating on it to gain speed.

"**Slice Sprint!**" Kopuriko said, cutting a disk of rock from the terrain under her and using a blade of energy to shoot herself towards the goal.

"**Kage Bushin no Jutsu!**" Naruto yelled, summoning a 'chain' of clones that _pulled him_ towards the finishing line.

"**Pressure Cooking!**" Setsuno said, diminishing the air pressure around her body to gain speed.

"**Electric Dash!** OORRRRAAAH!" Brunch yelled, summoning an aura of electricity around his body to amplify his speed, leaving behind a long tail of energy.

"**One thousand steps in one millimeter!**" Yuda said, taking in the span of a second a thousand step forward, making his speed sky-rocket.

"HERE THEY AAAAARE!" Munageh said as the various Chefs seemingly reached the goal at the same time.

"We'll now see a slow motion video to ensure whoever reached the finish line for first, please wait," the commentator said as the giant screen behind him started showing a really slow frame-by-frame video of the last instant of the race.

"AAAND...for just a nose, the winner iiis...Tengu Brunch!" Munageh said, the screen showing the overly-long nose of Brunch "reaching" the finishing line before the others.

"The rest of the arrivals are: in a tie for the second place, Naruto Namikaze and Setsuno!" he said, making the people watching roar in approval.

"For the third place, Yuda and Nono!"

"For the fourth place, Komatsu and Kopuriko!"

"And here all the rest of the seventy Chefs that reached here without falling for the various beasts along the road!" The commentator said as other chefs reached the finishing line with various degrees of tiredness and several bruises on their bodies.

"Wonderful! Now the selection of the Fifty Chefs that will advance towards the Second Event, remember even just a single Fake Fruit will make you reach the next event, Good Luck!" Munageh said.

"Please, show us the Fruits, Brunch," Patch said, holding out his hand.

"Here, ya can watch all ya want, ten out of ten, ah!" the red-skinned man said with a wide smirk.

"Perfect, Chef Namikaze and Chef Setsuno?" the man asked.

"Here they are, all safe and sound!" Naruto said, unsealing the ten fruit while Setsuno showed her case with her ten fruits.

"Perfect, same goes for Yuda, Damala Sky XIII, Komatsu, Kopuriko, Nono, Wabutora, Sumire..." Patch said as he and the other judges were slowly checking the integrity of the various Fake Fruits, leaving only the Fifty Chefs that managed to bring a whole specimen of the fragile fruit.

**With Sasuke and the Heavenly Kings- **

"_Sigh!_ He did it! He managed to keep ten of those things safe until the finishing line," Sasuke said, letting out a long sigh with a relieved expression.

"You weren't sure it was a good idea using one of those scrolls?" Coco asked surprised.

"We feared that the 'stress' of the sealing would have been too much for fragile ingredients, but this little Test helped discovering that we can instead use them for our ingredients," the boy answered.

"Hn! Testing that during the Festival and risking to lose was pretty stupid," Zebra said with a mad grin.

"We had to see if it worked, and in the end it helped, once inside the scroll, nothing outside destroying the seal array keeping the stuff inside can damage the content, he could have as easily shoot it all the way here after tying the scroll to a missile, the fruits would have come out unscathed," Sasuke answered.

"Can we copy them? They would help the IGO to study delicate ingredients and the ones that usually decay fast once removed from the plant," Toriko asked.

"I can't see why not, we'll have to test the 'limits' of the scrolls, but both me and Naruto can easily teach that and how to use them," the Uchiha boy said with a shrug.

"Thanks," Coco said with a gentle smile.

"No problem," Sasuke said with a nod.

"Hn! The second event is starting, let's see what the blondie will do now," Zebra said with a sneer.

**Back with the Chefs - Cooking Festival - Second Event - **

As Munageh once again appeared on the stage the crowd went wild, calling the names of their favorite Chefs with loud screams of appreciation.

"Wonderful! Now that the remaining fifty Chef are ready to battle, we will now announce the Second Event of the Cooking Festival!" the man yelled in his microphone, making the people in the stadium scream even louder in anticipation.

"Last year we had the "Scale Death Cooking" where two Chef challenged themselves in speed and technique by cooking on two giant plates positioned over raging fires! But this year we have a new Challenge for our aspiring Super Cook!" Munageh said, on the screen behind him lighted-up showing a list of ingredients and the Capture Level of each.

"This year instead, each Chef will select the ingredients to use for the "Theme" our judges, the G7, will declare for each pairing, once chosen, the Chefs will have as much time as they want to prepare it, we have gathered every ingredient and every instrument our contestant will ever need, no matter how big or small! The only restriction is that if a chef wants an Ingredient still alive, they will be able to choose one with a maximum Capture Level of 80, our gentle Heavenly Kings will intervene in case the ingredient goes wild and becomes a threat to the audience's safety," the Announcer said with a a cheerful yell to arouse the audience.

"Eh! No problem, we will defend you, guys!" Toriko said with a wide smile.

**Back in the arena - **

"Our first Pairing iiiis..." Munageh said as names started rolling on the wide screen.

"The Mysterious _'Shadow Chef'_ Naruto VS the _'Curry King'_ Damala Sky XIII!" the man yelled as the names stopped, showing a picture of the two Chefs.

"I am honored to be paired against you, Damala-san," Naruto said, presenting his hand to the man.

"Same goes for me, I won't show mercy, mind you," the Curry King answered with a gentle smile, shaking his hand.

"I expect no less," the blond said with a smirk.

Silence fell on the arena as the various members of the G7 talked a little between themselves, once reached a decision, Patch stood up to address the Stadium.

"Since we are dealing with different styles of cooking, we felt the need to choose between Themes that will be in themselves simple and yet with a wide range of possibilities of preparation so to leave to the contestants a certain degree of freedom...the Theme of this Showdown is '_Hamburgers'_," Patch said, noticing the shock of the presents.

"Exactly, Hamburgers, 'A cooked Patty in between to Buns', you are free to use any ingredients and variety of buns to prepare it," Patch answered.

"No problems for me, I'll tell you now, Damala-san, I'll fight your spices with mine," Naruto said with a sigh, watching with narrowed eyes the list of possible ingredients on the huge screen.

"So it will be a fight between spices and creativity? So be it, my specialty is Curry, but don't think that I won't be able to use it in an hamburger as well though," the other answered.

"We'll see..." the blond answered.

"Wonderful! Please choose your ingredients, Chef Namikaze!" Munageh asked.

"Let's see...this and, this and these spices too," Naruto muttered, reading the ingredients and then pushing several buttons on the console in front of him.

"The choice iiis...WHAT!? A living Magma Tortoise and Hannya Panda's meat?!" the announcer said with wide eyes, several other ingredients appearing under it but easily ignored by the news of the blond choosing to fight an ingredient instead of asking for just the meat.

**Up in the stands - **

"Why he wants to fight the Magma Tortoise?" Sasuke asked.

"The Hannya Panda has a Capture Level of 80 while the Magma Tortoise is a Level 70, so the thing is all about methods of preparation instead of Capture Level, in order to properly remove every part producing magma in the tortoise a Cheef needs extra care, he probably prefers do that himself in order to not risk the quality of the meat," Coco answered.

"Will he be able to defeat that thing?" the Uchiha boy asked.

"Last time we saw him he managed to keep at bay our animal companions by himself, Terry, Quin and Kiss had a lot of problems to defend themselves from him, that animal will last very little against Naruto," Toriko answered.

**Back to the Arena - **

"...Okay, now that Damala Sky XIII too has chosen his ingredients, I ask to everyone except Chef Namikaze to vacate the arena, the Magma Tortoise is a dangerous animal," Munageh said, rapidly sprinting away as an huge cage rose from under the arena's floor together with a gigantic pole, following the blond's instructions he gave to the Staff of the Stadium.

The Magma Tortoise was a gigantic turtle beast whose length was over 1700 meters, It had a fearsome and demonic appearance with pale red eyes and a large fanged maw filled with rows of sharp teeth, two giant orange horns coming out if its head, many volcano-like formations on its shell completed the hellish appearance of the creature.

"_ROOAAAAR!_" Roaring in rage it immediately charged Naruto while spilling Magma everywhere.

"You know? I choose to have you here alive because I know a little trick to make your meat taste even better than usual, but I need your edible 'Magma' for that, and I knew that had I asked for just the meat that won't have been possible," Naruto said calmly, dodging a blob of scorching magma with ease.

"_ROOOOAR!_" the beast growled, moving its giant horns to try and pierce the boy.

"Tch! Just shut up, **Rasengan!**" the blond answered, dodging the horns and moving under the Magma Tortoise's belly, driving a beach ball-sized sphere of Chakra under the beast.

With an agonizing scream of pain the beast shoot up in the sky, soon followed by Naruto.

"**Nikuya Suraisu! (Butcher Slice)**" he said with a raised hand, summoning around his hand a wide-blade of energy that he then used to behead the huge tortoise with a single motion.

As the huge body crashed down in the arena, the blond Chef summoned a 'chain' of clones, using them to grab the Magma Tortoise and using the giant pole to lift it and drain both blood and magma from the beheaded body in an huge vat with various filters over it.

"What is he doing?" Wabutora, the oil-specialized Chef, asked.

"He is filtering the Magma from the blood, what he did was 'emptying' the inside of the tortoise without firstly removing the sac and the organs that produce and store the magma, he had the two mix so to soak the meat in the magma flavor," Komatsu answered.

"Not a lot of people do that because of the sheer size of the beast making the technique difficult, it's the same principle used in medical cuisine with normal sized turtles by using sake or wine to stop the blood from coagulating, he is just using the magma instead of liquor to force out every drop of blood and add more flavor to the meat at the same time," Nono added.

Once the beast finished 'dripping', the now filtered Magma was once again poured inside the tortoise to repeat the 'cleaning' of the meat other two times.

Once done the clones dispelled, leaving the Magma Tortoise fall down with a thundering _Boom_.

"Now, the preparation can begin," Naruto muttered, taking out his pale-white kitchen knife.

"Here it is! The famous Melk kitchen knife** Houshoku! (Gluttony)**" Murageh said, enticing several awed screams from the audience.

Turning the animal upside-down, the blond Chef pierced the underside of the Magma Tortoise shell, the blade piercing the rock-hard carapace of the beast as if it was paper, before sprinting forward cutting his way as he moved around the animal, once done he simply threw away the whole 'plaque' from under the beast showing the organs to the audience, making the majority of them go green-faced at the grotesque spectacle.

"Wonderful..." Kopuriko purred with a glossed expression, slightly turned-on by the dignified expression Naruto had even while drenched in blood.

"BRING ME THE BOILING POT!" Naruto yelled while cutting the tortoise meat to pieces, making an huge, easily three-story high, boiling pot rise from the floor and filled with boiling hot water.

"YAAAH!" the blond yelled, throwing inside the water the slices of the Tortoise meat and even parts of the cleaned shell together with a truck-worth of several spices.

"_Schisandra fruit, Kinshin-sai, Ginger, Shaoxing-jiu_...all remedial ingredients, he wants to add their flavor to the meat," Yuda said with narrowed eyes, as an expert of Medical Cooking he was already understanding what the blond was doing. (_they are all ingredients used in Chinese cuisine)._

After a little while, the audience could see a 'mountain' of meat rose near Naruto, the blond smirking as he took the huge slabs with an appreciative nod.

"That is the Hannya Panda, what is he planning?" Setsuno said curious.

To the others' surprise the Shadow Chef kicked the boiling pot, incredibly launching only the Tortoise meat up in the air.

"Hn! **Air Slice!**" moving his kitchen knife in a blurry motion he launched a 'Net' of energy towards the huge chunks, cutting them into thin slices.

"**Taiju** **Kage Bushin!**" he then called out, summoning an army of clones that then jumped high in the sky, each one grabbing a slice of meat to drive it in the tall pole, alternating each piece of Magma Tortoise with one of Hannya Panda.

When two tall walls with grills on it came out, the present chefs immediately understood what he planned to do.

"_Doner Kebab_...that was unexpected, what a show-off!" Brunch said with a smirk.

"A plate where a pile of meat is skewered with a big spit and then scraped off with a knife after cooking, an interesting choice," Setsuno said with a little laugh.

"'_Doner'_ is for spinning, and _'Kebab'_ is for roasting...by letting the meat cook gradually while rotating it the meat is cooked in a way that melts the flavor of the fat and spices together," Damala Sky said with narrowed eyes and clenched teeth.

Immediately, as the kebab started slowly to cook, the fragrant smell of the two kind of meats' fat filled the air, making more than one stomach grumble in anticipation.

"Uuuuh! That looks soooo gooood!" Toriko commented with a moan.

"I am curious about how he will make it into Hamburgers, though," Sanni said, curious.

**Back to Naruto - **

Few minutes later, whatever cheering the audience was making, every talking that was taking place in the G7 table and every commentary the various chefs present were discussing died down as one when Naruto started frying the patty on the iron plate.

"The smell of the meat!...It's so strong...just like an hand choking me!" Damala Sky muttered with wide eyes.

"In the 'world' of flavors...Taste is not everything...I'll stimulate sight, smell and touch as well," Naruto said with a knowing smile, turning the patty and renewing the shocked expression on everyones face.

"Because every single sense, is what makes food really 'Good'," he then said completing his dish by using some of the tortoise 'Magma' and blood to draw a Cherry Tree's branch on the side of the plate around the hamburger, his clones preparing at blinding speed an enormous number of plates for the audience while he himself brought one to each member of G7.

"Piping-hot Kebab made with the two wild beasts on top of a fleshy steak of Hannya Panda, sorry the wait," the blond chef said, presenting his plate with a deep bow.

"Adding Kebab to an heavy hamburger patty will just result in an heavy flavor, even if the aroma is mesmerizing that won't save the dish," Damala Sky commented, receiving a knowing smirk in answer from the blond.

"W-W-WHERE DID IT GO!?" Patch said with wide eyes, he and the other judges looking at their empty hands in surprise.

"You just ate it whole without noticing, Patch-san, I think it means that you liked it," Naruto said with an amused chuckle.

"Interesting, you used 'Pita' (_Middle eastern bread baked at high temperature_) for the buns, you opened a small pocket-like cavity in the bread to fill it so to not have the meat spill-out the juices and the flavor when bitten, you also used home-made yogurt sauce to remove the excessive bad smell and emphasize the spices' aroma," Patch said with narrowed eyes.

"How did you manage to contrast the heavy taste?" Damala Sky asked, curious.

"The boiling was just a way to add 'good' taste to the Tortoise's meat while taking away some 'bad taste' and the scum, then you saw me...I used some _'Achaar'_, a kind of preserved food made by putting fruits and vegetable in mustard oil, it's very sour and is used in place of pickles in India and surrounding areas, I used one made of onions; it helped because mustard oil's stinging smell highlights the meat's flavor while the main source of sourness comes from a spice made from dried unripe mango; I was surprised to find some in the list of Ingredients," Naruto said.

"Interesting..." he said with an appreciative nod.

"Thank you! When I saw the Theme being hamburger I decided to go for the 'Shocking factor' since I had been paired against you, so other than the Achaar I also added lemon juice for extra sourness, garlic, ginger and chili peppers to 'tickle' the nose, clove, cumin seeds, black pepper, paprika powder and honey to add a sweet undertone to the taste," Naruto answered.

"And the Magma?" the other asked.

"That is the secret of the Kebab's tender texture, it stopped the tortoise's meat from taking an excessive elasticity that would 'push-back' the mandible of who is eating, and it helped the Hannya Panda's meat to not become too crunchy, in short it made sure that both kinds of meat were as much soft as possible without losing taste once ready, I slowly added it while cooking the Tower-Kebab," the blond answered.

"It was a surprisingly intense taste that stimulated the whole body, not only the mouth, incredibly making the feeling of hunger increase at each bite and so making who eats eager to finish the plate, you also added a bit of powdered shell of Magma Tortoise as a 'spice' when mixing the patty, you also made sure to give the meat a light 'gelatinous' side that filled the mouth even more, making it almost addicting in taste, truly an high-class hamburger, congratulations," Patch said with a small nod.

"Thank you, Patch-san," Naruto answered with a bow, making the audience explode in a loud, deafening cheering.

"DELICIOUS!" Toriko screamed as he and the other Heavenly Kings were served the rest of the Hamburgers just like several other people in the stadium.

"EH! The bastard is good," Zebra commented with a sneer.

"YOU ROCK, ONIICHAN!" Fate yelled.

"HOY! Can I have another? I am starving here!" Sasuke said showing his empty plate in annoyance.

"We will give to our staff few minutes to clean and then we will follow Damala Sky XIII and his cooking!" Murageh announced.

**With the other Chefs - **

"You liked my dish, Kopuriko-chan?" Naruto asked.

"You were really good, congratulation," the woman answered, latching to his arm with a serene smile.

"Come on, I am all dirty, you'll get bloodied too," the blond said chuckling.

"Then you'll just have to 'clean' me," she answered, whispering to his ear.

"You'll do that later, keep your pants on, perverts!" Brunch said with a grin.

"Cockblocker," the blond muttered with a pout.

The rest of the Chef Contestants group watched as Damala Sky XIII moved in front of the fire, a determined expression on his face as he glared at Naruto.

When a giant gold-colored dragon with two heads appeared behind him, the audience grew silent.

"The Dragon with the scales that can be used as spice with the meat when preparing curry, a _Curry Dragon_, Capture Level of 80, interesting," the blond commented with a feral smile, watching the Curry King charge the beast with no fear in his eyes and a kitchen knife in each hand.

**This signs the end of the First part of the Cooking Festival, next time Damala's turn and the other contestants, I hope it was not boring what I wrote about Naruto's turn, I tried to follow the Anime and Manga's "dedication" to food, I hope I have not exaggerated, let me know if I did and I'll "reduce" the attention to cooking in that case, promise ^ ^.**

**hope you enjoyed, see you around.**


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